Bricks, Beads And Bones (The Harappan Civilisation) Summary of the Chapter
Introduction about the archaeology of the Harappan Civilisation or the Indus Vally Civilisation.
(i)Meaning of the term “The Indus Vally Civilisation” : This term is also used for the Harappan Culture or Harappen Civilisation.
(ii)Date or timing of the Harappan Culture: It is dated between 2600 and 1900 BCE.
(iii)Places related with the Harappan Civilisation: Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Cholistan (All in Pakistan). Kalibanga, Lothal, Ropar, Alamgirpur and Banwali: All in India.
Food and Subsistence: The Harappans ate a wide range of plant and animal produce, including fish. Agriculture, cattle rearing, trade, different small scale industries and handicrafts were the means of subsistance of the people of Harappa.
Mohenjodaro: A planned Urban Centre: Perhaps the most unique feature of the Harappan Civilisation was the development of urban centres. Mohanjodaro was one of the centres among them. This city was divided in two sections-Citadel and the lowar town. The citadel awed its height to the fact that buildings were constructed on mud brick platforms. The Lower Town was also walled. Besides, several buildings were built on platforms which served as foundations.
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Great Bath was a very important building of Mohenjodaro. This is a large rectangular tank surrounded by a corridor on all four sides. These were two flights of steps on the north and south leading into tank which was made water tight by setting bricks on edge and using a mortar of gypsum.
Tracing of Social Differences:Archaeologists generally use certain strategies to find out whether there were social or economic differences amongst people living within a particular culture. These include studying burials.
The burials found at Harappan sites are rather different. Generally the dead were laid in pits. Sometimes, there are differences in the way the burial pit was made in some instances, the hollowed out space in lined with bricks.
Some graves contain pottery and some ornaments, perhaps indicating a belief that these could be used in the after life. Jewellery was found in burials of both men and women.
Finding out about Craft Production: In Chanhudaro a small settlement of the Indus Valley Civilisation almost people exclusively devoted to craft production, including bead making, shell cutting, seal making, weight making.
A variety of materials were used by the craftmen of Indus Valley Civilisation. Other centre of crafts production was Lothal. It is seems likely that finished products were taken from Chanhudaro and Lothal to other settlements, particularly the large urban centres, Mohenjodaro and Harappa.
Materials and Goods from Near and Far: While some material such as clay were locally available, many such as stone, timber and metal had to be produce from outside the alluvial plain. The Harappans used to a variety of strategies to procure such materials. For example, they established settlements in areas where raw materials were available, as in the case of Negeshwar and Balakot.
Modes of Communication: Transport seals, script and weights Bullock carts and boats were main modes of transport. We also find outlines of ships on seals of this civilisation. It is likely that the trade and other relation might have developed between the Harappans and the people of Oman, Bahrain or Mesopotamia through the sea routes.
Ancient Authority: If we look for a centre of power or for depictions of powerful people in the archaeological record, there are no immediate answers. A large building found at Mohenjodaro was labelled as a palace, but was not associated with spectacular finds of wealth.
Some archaeologists support that the Harappans had no rulers, that everybody enjoyed equal status. Others feel there was no single ruler but several; that Mohenjodaro had a separate ruler Harappa another, and so forth.
Beginning and End: While the discovery of the Harappan Civilisation was dramatic, it was soon found that there were archaeological cultures in the Indus Valley prior to it. The pottery associated with these cultures was distinctive. Besides there was relatively limited evidences for craft production and public architecture and the settlements were much smaller then those of the Harappan Civilisation.
Causes of decline or the end of the Harappan Culture:
(i) Climatic changes (ii) Deforestation
(iii) Excessive floods (iv) Drying up of rivers
(v) Earthquake (vi) Landscape
Discovering the Harappan Civilisation: Several archaeologists and scholars had great role in discovery of Indus Valley Civilisation. The following were main out of them:
(i) Alexander Cunningham (ii) Daya Ram Sahni
(iii) Raphal Das Benerji (iv) John Marshal
(v) R.E.M. Wheeler
The Present Boundaries Frontiers of the Harappan Civilisation: These frontiers had little or no connection with present day national boundaries. However, this civilisation had sites spread over three modern countries- (i) Afghanistan (ii) Pakistan and (iii) India
Meterial helping to know about the Harappan Civilisation: Pottery, tools, ornaments, household objects etc, which were used and discarded and left behind by the ancient people of Harappan Civilisation give us picture of the main features of Indus Valley Civilisation.
Source :- Jiwan Publishing House (P) LTD
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