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Harappan Civilisation: By: Aishali, Ambar and Anshika
Harappan Civilisation: By: Aishali, Ambar and Anshika
Both mature and early Harappa had similarities in their strategies for
subsistence
The harappan ate a wide range of plants and animal products including fish.
Archaebotanist discovered the following grains :-
wheat, barley, sesame, chickpea, lentils and millet
the findings of rice are relatively poor
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
Bulls were used for ploughing the land archaeologist stated this because bulls
were represented on seals and terracotta sculptures
evidence of ploughed field - Kalibangan (Rajesthan)
Evident of plogh model - cholistan and banawali
Traces of canal - shortughai (Afghanistan)
Water reservoir- Dholavira( Gujrat)
Wells might were used for irrigation
MOHENJODARO
BURIALS
STEATITE ; easy to
moulded into
different
work upon shapes
CARNELIAN
beads nodules of
firing the the material were
yellowish raw chipped of into
materials rough shapes.
• A piece of woven cloth has also been recovered
icluding textile impressions of some other objects.
• The greatest artistic creation of the harappan
civillisation are the seals. About 2000 seals have
been found.
Teracotta toy models of bullock carts suggest that it was one important means of transport.
Riverine routes along the Indus and its tributaries, as well as coastal routes were also used
Harappans procured materials by establishing settlements.
MATERIALS FROM SUBCONTINENT AND BEYOND- Nageshwar and Balalot were the areas where
shell was available
Shortughai in far off Afghanistan- lapis lazuli
Lothal – carnelian
Another strategy was was to send expeditions to areas like Khetri region of rajasthan and soth for
gold.
These expeditions also helped them in establishing communication with the local communities
CONTACT WITH DISTANT LANDS
Seals-
1. Seals are distinctive products of the
Harappan culture. They were square
or rectangle tablets of alloy.
2. The seals generally have a line of
writing at the top , suggesting the
name and title of the owner.
3. They were engraved with figures of
animals such as unicorn,humped
bull, elephant
4. Seals enabled long distance trade
and communication.
An enigmatic script-
1. Harappan script was not alphabetic but pictographic
2. It was written from right to left
3. Not deciphered till date.
Weights –
1. Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights
2. Weights were made of stone called chert, cubical with no
markings.
3. Lower denominations were binary
4. Higher denominations followed decimal system
ANCIENT AUTHORITY
A large building was found at Mohenjodaro was labelled as a
palace by archaeologists
A stone statue was labelled as “priest-king” comparing and
found it parallel to that of mesopotamia.
Some archaeologists were of opinion that there was no ruler,
and eveybody enjoyed equal status
Others feel that there was no single ruler but several.
Others argue that there was a single state considering the
uniformity of artefacts
THE END OF HARAPPAN
CIVILIZATION
1. There is no general agreement regarding the
causes of the breakdown of Harappan urban
society.. Broadly speaking, the principal theories
thus far proposed fall under four headings.
2. The first is gradual environmental change, such as
a shift in climatic patterns and consequent
agricultural disaster, perhaps resulting from
excessive environmental stress caused by
population growth and overexploitation of
resources.
3. Second, some scholars have postulated more-
precipitous environmental changes, such as
tectonic events leading to the flooding of
Mohenjo-daro, the drying up of the Sarawati
River, or other such calamities.
4. Third, it is conceivable that human activities, such
as invasions of tribespeople from the hills to the
west of the Indus valley, perhaps even Indo-
Aryans, contributed to the breakdown of Indus
external trade links or more directly disrupted the
cities.
5. The fourth theory posits the occurrence of an
epidemic or a similar agent of devastation.
DISCOVERING
THE
HARAPPAN
CIVILISATION
Cunnigham's Confusion
Cunningham’s main interest was in the
archaeology of the Early Historic and later periods.
Cunningham tried to place Harappan seals within
the time-frame with which he was familiar.
He used the accounts left by Chinese Buddhist
pilgrims who had visited the subcontinent between
the fourth and seventh centuries CE to locate early
settlement.
Cunningham also collected, documented and
translated inscriptions found during his surveys.
When he excavated sites he tended to recover
artefacts that he thought had cultural value.
A site like Harappa which was not part of the
itinerary of the Chinese pilgrims, did not fit very
neatly within his framework of investigation.
Cunningham did not realize how old Harappa
artifacts were.
A New Old
Civilisation
1. Seals were found at Harappa by
Daya Ram Sahni.
2. R.D Banerji got the same from
Mohenjodaro.
3. It led to set the similarity of these
sites.
4. John Marshall, in 1924 announced
the discovery of a new civilisation in
Indus Valley.
New Techniques and
question
1. It was R.E.M Wheeler,after he took
over as Director General of the ASI in
1944.
2. Wheeler brought changes. Followed
the stratigraphy of the mound rather
dig scientifically.
3. Since 1980 modern scientific
techniques are being used to
recover traces of
clay,stone,metal,plant and animal
remains.
PROBLEMS OF PIECING
TOGETHER THE PAST
As we have seen , it is not Harappan
script that helps in understanding
the ancient civilisation. Rather it is
material evidence that allows
archaeologist to better reconstruct
Harappan life. This material could be
pottery,tools , ornaments, household
objects etc.Organic material such
as clothes, woods and reeds
generally decompose especially in
tropical regions.
Classifying finds
1. Recovering artefacts is just the
beginning of the archaeological
enterprise. Archaeologists then
classify their finds.
2. First principle of classification is in
terms of material, such as stone,
clay,metal,bone, ivory , etc.
3. The second and more
complicated is in terms of
function: archaeologist have to
decide weather, for instance, an
artefact is a tool or an ornament
or both or something meant for
ritual use.
Problems of
interpretation
1. Archaeologist face the problem of
interpretation.
2. Figurines of women are expressed as mother
goddesses.
3. Plants motifs indicate the worship of the
nature.
4. A figure looked as seated in cross legged
posture, mentioned 'yogie'.
5. A conical stone has been mentioned as
'lingas'.
6. The depiction of shiva is not the same as
mentioned of Rudra in the Rigveda.
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