I was reading a fascinating work by Thomas WIlson, curator of the
Departme
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/postnt of Prehistoric
Anthropology at the US National Museum (The Smithsonian Institution,
Washington DC); the work is dated 1894 with profuse illustrations.
The title is: The Swastika. The earliest known symbol, and its
migrations; with observations on the migration of certain industries
in prehistoric times.
An interesting point is that some scholars agree that the model for
the symbol must have been an object, known and useful throughout the
ancient world.
Since the publication of this work, fascinating archaeological
discoveries have revealed the use of this symbol as part
of 'inscriptions'. Over 50 inscriptions have been found in Sarasvati
Sindhu Valley (so-called Indus Valley Civilization area) which
contain this symbol, both the righ-handed and left-handed versions
are found; the inscriptions have not been successfully deciphered.
In Punjabi, sathia means this symbol; in Sanskrit, svastika_ means a
meeting of four roads, apart from the auspicious symbol which is
broken down as su + asti (may good be). svadhiti is an axe to cut
wood; sathiya_ = knife, dagger (Indo-Aryan languages). sotthika,
sotthiya auspicious (Pali); satthia, sottia id. (Pkt.); sathiya_,
satiya_ mystical mark of good luck (H.); sa_thiyo auspicious mark
painted on the front of a house (G.); svastika auspicious mark (R.)
(Turner's CDIAL 13916). svasti good fortune (RV.); suvatthi, sotthi
well-being (Pali); s'vasti (NiDoc.); satthi, sotthi welfare, blessing
(Pkt.); seta good fortune (Si.)(Turner's CDIAL 13915).
Other lexemes used are: French gammadion, German hakenkreuz, English
flyfot (from Scandinavian fower fot, 'many-footed'), Chinese wan,
Japanese manji, Nordic Thor's Hammer.
Footprints of the Buddha do contain the tri-ratna symbol and also the
svastika symbol.
It appears that the SSVC inscriptions are the only instances wherein
the symbol is used as part of messages conveyed
through 'inscriptions'. On one seal, the symbol appears together with
another symbol: endless-knot motif (which appears as the exclamation
by a charioteer riding a chariot in Akkadian period; in Sanskrit,
krandas = war-cry; also a knot). If this is the context, it is
possible that the svastika symbol may related to some kind of bronze
age war-weapon.
On a tablet, five svastika's appear with alternating left- and right-
handed varieties. On another tablet, the symbol is encased in a
square and on either side, an elephant and a tiger are shown.
The symbol or the word, 'svasti' becomes an invocatory message on
many epigraphs of the historical periods in Bha_rat (India).