Study of ancient seal script symbols from Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro: Pak embassy in Beijing hosts launch of English edition

ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing hosted the launch of the English edition of Study of ancient seal script symbols from Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro: Exploration of the Indus Valley Script Origins.

Authored by Professor Zhou Yushu, President of Inner Mongolia Honder College of Arts and Sciences, and his research team, the study examines 401 relatively complete seals excavated from Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro and offers interpretations of 132 individual characters. The research compares these symbols with inscriptions, imagery and cultural traditions associated with prehistoric China, particularly the Hongshan cultural sphere, exploring possible connections between the ancient civilizations of the regions that constitute present-day Pakistan and China.

Welcoming the participants, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi congratulated Professor Zhou, his research team, translators and the Inner Mongolia Honder College of Arts and Sciences for their contribution to the publication. He described the study as a significant contribution to research on the possible historical and cultural connections between the two ancient civilizations.

The study highlights a range of possible parallels in ancestral representations, ritual symbols and offerings, animal imagery, and symbols associated with concepts including birth, divination, thunder and ancestral worship. While recognizing that such parallels do not provide definitive conclusions, the research opens new avenues for scholarly inquiry into possible interaction, exchange of ideas and shared elements of cultural imagination among ancient communities.

The launch underscored the value of academic and cultural exchanges between Pakistan and China and the role of collaborative scholarship in deepening understanding of their respective ancient civilizations. The research is now available in English, with an Urdu translation also prepared to make the study accessible to a wider Pakistani audience.

The occasion also highlighted Professor Zhou’s longstanding contribution to Pakistan-China educational and people-to-people exchanges. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has decided to confer one of its highest civil awards on Professor Zhou in recognition of his outstanding contribution to strengthening Pakistan-China friendship and promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

In his keynote address, Professor Zhou Yushu provided an overview of the research and its principal findings. He expressed appreciation to the Embassy of Pakistan for hosting the launch and thanked the Government of Pakistan for the conferment of the civil award.

The ceremony was attended by a number of academics, scholars, researchers, media professionals and other guests. The programme also included an exhibition of seals featured in the study, an interactive media session and the formal inauguration of the English edition.

The launch provided an opportunity to further promote academic cooperation and cultural dialogue between Pakistan and China and encouraged the continuation of research into the connections between two of the world’s great ancient cultural traditions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026