Harappan Civilization: Introduction PDF

HS 201 World Civilizations and Cultures Lecture 003 Harappan Civilization: Characteristics, Material Culture and Society V.N. Prabhakar, IIT Gandhinagar Extent of Harappan Civilization c. 2600 – 1900 BCE ...

HS 201 World Civilizations and Cultures Lecture 003 Harappan Civilization: Characteristics, Material Culture and Society V.N. Prabhakar, IIT Gandhinagar Extent of Harappan Civilization c. 2600 – 1900 BCE  Major Cities/Urban Centers Harappa, Pakistan,+150 ha Mohenjo Daro, Pakistan+250 ha Lakhanjodaro, Pakistan, +200 ha Dholavira, India, +100 ha Ganweriwala, Pakistan, 40-80 ha Rakhigarhi, India, + 150 ha Photo courtesy M. Jansen Regional Towns 10-50 ha sites – Kalibangan Small Towns 5-10 hectare sites – Lothal, Kot Diji Villages: 1-5 ha sites Hamlets: >1-1 ha sites Map courtesy of V. Shinde Deccan College Layout of settlements Two major crops Rabi or spring harvested crop is planted in the winter and watered by winter rains, while the Kharif is planted in the summer, during or after the monsoon and harvested before winter Paddy rice Barley Wheat Finger millet  Two directions of furrow Mustard and gram Ploughed field from Kalibangan Terracotta model of yoke, Nausharo Terracotta model of plough, Banawali Modern field near site Major domestic animal species Humped zebu cattle (Bos indicus), non- humped cattle (Bos taurus), and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Goat Ram Elephant Wild animals as possible pets – rabbits, peacocks, pheasants, partridge and quail, hawks, pigeons, ducks, jungle fowl (chicken), monkeys, squirrels Wild animals – tiger, leopard, rhinoceros, crocodile, gharial, elephant, water buffalo, antelope, deer, etc., onager (Equus hemionus), wild ass Dog  Fishing – marine and riverine fish and shellfish Net fishing and hook-and-line fishing in oxbow lakes or ponded areas – coastal fisherfolk dried fish and collected shells for trade to the inland Ancient centres Modern Terracotta net sinkers Fortification Sun baked bricks Brick core and stone veneering in Kachchh, Saurashtra and Makran sites Multi-coloured bricks indicate community participation North Gate, Dholavira Mohenjo-daro, Great Bath (12 X 7 X 2.5 m) and Great Hall sequence - Great Bath drain cuts through the edge of the platform of the Great Hall Granary, with air ducts or passageways Loading platform  South Reservoir, Dholavira 33.40 X 8.9-9.45 X 5.9-6.5 m (2051 m3) (for the upper reservoir) and 15.5 x 5.7 x 2 m (176 m3) (for the lower reservoir) 20,510 people/day if 100 litres/per person 100 people/day if 100 litres/person for 205 days 100 people/day if 100 litres/person for 222 days (total capacity) Partly rock-cut and masonry made South Reservoir 3 East Reservoir, Dholavira 78 X 35 X 10 m (27,300 m 3) Can support 2,73,000 people/day (~5000 population in Dholavira) if 100 litres/ person/day If 5000 population, 55 days If 78 X 35 X 13 m (35,490 m 3), 3,54,900 people/day If 5000 population, 70 days Additional sources of water required Stairs led to the bottom on three sides, and the fourth side (SW) is a spillway Step-well inside the East Reservoir Dockyard (217 X 37 X 4.25 m), Lothal Mohenjo-daro household with courtyard and various house plans Sun dried bricks or baked bricks 7 X 14 X 28 cm for buildings; 10 X 20 X 40 cm for fortifications Floors were of hard packed earth, often replastered and covered with clean sand Bathing areas generally of baked bricks or stone Roof consisted of wooden beams covered with reeds and packed clay Standardisation of bricks Ceramics Transportation system Lapidary Superior technology Weighing system  8 gunja seeds = smallest weight = ~ 1gm Standardised Weights throughout the entire region – double as they increase from 1 : 2 : 4 : 8 : 16 : 32 etc 16th ratio = 13.7 gm Metallurgy: Copper-Bronze Specialisation in shell crafts Bangles Turbinella pyrum Multi-grooved bangle Chevron design Bowl Shell working Female burials with shell bangles Faience Technology Stoneware bangles Door from Harappa toy house and from Mohenjo-daro, HR Area and modern door with screen wall Windows, doors and grills work with wood and mat  Wooden components in architecture Highly complemented the brick and stone architecture Gateway doors, pillar columns, doors, windows, furniture, and others of wood Typical hard woods and aromatic cedar used for buildings and furniture o Shisham (Dalbergia sisoo) o Dark heartwood, which is termite resistant suitable for doors, windows and furniture even today o Deodar (Cedrus deodara) not found in plains, and comes from Himalayas Square stamp seals Sealings Characteristics of the script 400 to 450 signs Logosyllabic (morphemic) systems, where a single sing can mean either a word, a syllable or a sound Some signs look like pictographs and many represent an ideographic system Written from right to left Decipherment unsuccessful so far in the absence of bilingual and lengthy inscription Indus Numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 2X4=8 3 X 4 = 12 4 X 4 = 16 5 X 4 = 20 6 X 4 = 24 Indus Writing Not yet deciphered, various claims for different languages are Indo-Aryan, Sino-Tibetan, proto- Dravidian (?), Mundari (?), Language “X” – unproven Could be multi-lingual and multi-ethnic society, hence same script used for writing different dialects and language variations Written from right to left – used for economic, ritual and personal identification purposes Found on square seals, used for trade and ritual purposes Faience, steatite or terracotta tokens, accounting and possible ritual purposes Evidence for metallurgy Copper and Bronze  Religion No clear-cut evidence for religious shrine or temple from Indus context Undeciphered script and absence of substantial written records also a hindrance in understanding the religion Sir John Marshall opines based on ‘Proto-Siva’ seal and phallic objects from Mohenjo-daro that Hinduism had its roots in Indus Civilization Several objects like terracotta female figurines, phalli, vulvas, horned deities, trees, bathing platforms, fire altars are suggested as evidence for religion Terracotta tablets – sacred pipal tree as temple, processions with worshippers wearing skirts Pasupati or Proto-Siva seal Deity with buffalo horn headgear ‘Deity’ with horned headdress Plain pottery filled with food offerings, some wooden bowls with offerings for men and women No seals or inscribed objects No high-value objects such as copper tools and ornaments of gold and long carnelian beads, no pointed base goblets, cooking pots or heavily decorated storage jars Kalibangan, Extended and Pot burials Harappan artefacts from Mesopotamian sites Thank You