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Can YOU decipher these symbols for a $1 MILLION prize?

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Summary
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83% Informative

Indian state of Tamil Nadu is offering a $1 million prize to anyone who can decipher the Indus Valley script.

It consists of odd letter-like symbols and illustrations, and is unlike any other language in the world.

The Indus civilisation thrived from 2600 BC to 1900 BC , and then vanished from historical records.

4,000 ancient plates, made of materials like stone and copper, are inscribed with the mysterious script.

No one yet knows for sure why such a great civilisation vanished around 1300 BC .

One theory is that climate change led to the collapse due to fewer monsoons.

Another theory, supported by archaeological evidence, is that the decline was caused by earthquakes.

The civilization's success relied fundamentally on monsoon water and farming, so changes in climate would have been disastrous.

VR Score

85

Informative language

85

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28

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

55

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not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

medium-lived

External references

7

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