A $1 million reward has been announced as scientists have yet to decipher the language of the Indus Valley civilization.

Approximately 5,700 years ago, an ancient civilization began to flourish in what is now northern India and Pakistan. Known as the Indus Valley Civilization, it gained recognition for its undeciphered script and large, well-planned cities, writes IFLScience.

Despite its remarkable achievements, this civilization eventually vanished, leaving behind many unanswered questions. Researchers are working to uncover the details of daily life in these ancient urban centers, gradually piecing together the history of the Indus Valley civilization.

Harappa, the largest and most famous city of this civilization, existed between 3,700 and 1,300 BCE. Within its fortified walls, archaeologists uncovered numerous examples of the Indus Valley script, an early form of writing that remains untranslated to this day.

Recently, Indian authorities announced a reward of 1 million dollars for anyone who can decipher this script, hoping to learn more about this long-lost civilization. Although no one has claimed the reward yet, a recent study has provided new insights into the social structure and daily life of Harappa during its peak.

Researchers analyzed 1,144 samples of ancient plant remains collected during archaeological excavations at Harappa. Scientists found a significant proportion of grains compared to chaff, suggesting that food production likely occurred outside the city.

It is probable that the grains were processed before being transported to Harappa to feed the city's inhabitants. This challenges previous theories that suggested certain families processed the grains at home. This was earlier supported by the discovery of small weed seeds, which were thought to be leftovers from domestic processing.

However, further analysis of the weed seeds indicated that they typically originated from plants consumed by livestock during grazing or were part of feed. Therefore, scientists propose that the weed seeds entered Harappa through the burning of large amounts of manure.

This was used for both domestic and industrial purposes, such as in pottery or faience kilns. Researchers noted that burning manure provided a stable, slow heat for cooking and was an easily accessible fuel source, similar to practices in some rural areas today.

These findings suggest that the inhabitants cultivated grains, including wheat and barley, under centralized control from surrounding villages by urban centers like Harappa. Despite these discoveries, much remains unknown about the daily life, language, and religious practices of the ancient civilization's residents.

Additionally, we reported on the Imperial Baths of Baden-Baden. For the first time in 180 years, scientists have studied the Roman baths.