hemakabir

[hemakabir]

“Bowl with Painted Decoration: Indus: Early Harappan.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324704.

“Reclining Mouflon: Indus: Mature Harappan.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/326374.

“Stamp Seal and Modern Impression: Unicorn and Incense Burner (?): Indus: Mature Harappan.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324062.

“Intaglio Seal with Script and Unicorn.” Harappa, www.harappa.com/indus4/5.html. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.

“Small Toy Whistle.” Brooklyn Museum, www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/3420.

“Indus River Valley Civilizations (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-beginnings/ancient-india/a/the-indus-river-valley-civilizations.

“Harappa.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc www.britannica.com/place/Harappa.

“Sindh.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 13 Oct. 2023, www.britannica.com/place/Sindh-province-Pakistan.

Ahluwalia, Disha, and ThePrint. “Harappan Small Town Banawali Is Full of Surprises. Terracota Plough, Citadel, Street Soak Jars.” ThePrint, 20 June 2023, theprint.in/opinion/harappan-small-town-banawali-is-full-of-surprises-terracota-plough-citadel-street-soak-jars/1535977/?amp.

Menon, Dr. Arathi, and Dr. Arathi Menon. “An Indus Seal.” " An Indus Seal, smarthistory.org/indus-seal/.

[hemakabir]

The City of Banawali

The city of Banawali is located in the Fatehabad district of India. The city was built over the dried-up Sarasvati River. The city was established around 2600–1700 BCE. About 120 kilometers northeast of Kalibangan is where it is situated. The city is a 4.5-meter-tall defensive-walled stronghold. Brick kilns that had been fired and molded were used to build the homes. It was founded on the Saraswati River's left bank during the Indus Valley Civilization. The archeological site consisted mainly of houses, and were built out of bricks. Stones and artifacts such as lapis lazuli, gold beads, carnelian, touchstones, and metals indicated that the house belonged to a jewelry maker. Gold streaks on a touchstone were most likely employed for gold purity testing. Beads and stones came mainly from Iran, Central Asia, and Karnataka. Trade was very important in Harappan culture. Along streets and roads, there were houses with rooms and baths. A staircase known as the ‘lower town’ was constructed from Banawali to Acropolis. Arts such as jar and case pottery were also common practices. A clay plow model and many little stone weights were also discovered; seals were only discovered in the town, not in the citadel. These sites, together with Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, have a large number of figurines depicting women. Civilization was divided in two. One was for the wealthier half, and the other was for most of the population. Some artifacts in the Banawali were Harappan seals, S-shaped jars, ovens, and painted clay pots. Paintings of animals, trees, leaves, fish, flowers, and anything consisting of nature were common in artworks. Additional noteworthy discoveries include semi-precious stone beads and bracelets, terracotta and shell, and athletes; gold beads and foil; terracotta animal figurines; terracotta seals and steatite seals with inscriptions; copper fishhooks; charred barley grains, etc.

[hemakabir]

The Indus Civilization Artifacts: Seals

The most popular artifacts in Indus civilization were known as seals and were created around 2500-2400 BCE. The material used to engrave their artifacts were known as soapstone. These pieces of art usually consisted of bulls, elephants, rhinoceros, and intricate tiger designs. An example of a seal is one portrayed in the National Museum of New Delhi. Terra-cotta figures were the prominent art form of the Harappans. There are also standing men, some of whom have horns and beards, but the bulk are girls, frequently richly adorned in jewelry. These seals consist of four animals. A buffalo, an elephant, a tiger, and a rhinoceros. The edge of the art piece has an engraving of a deer. There is evidence that there was agricultural trade between the Indus cities and the Persian Gulf. In most of these engravings, a ritual object is known to be found standing next to the animals. Religious symbols are portrayed in these seals. There are often mythological symbols as well such as unicorns. However, there are frequently a lot of issues with how these seals should be interpreted. The seals exhibit a far better level of workmanship and were undoubtedly more widely distributed than other artistic objects. They most likely served as amulets in addition to more useful tools for product identification. Stamps seals were used for trade in the Indus civilization. Two major materials used for the tools are bronze and copper. They made knives, chisels, arrowheads, spears, and axes. Harappans used bronze and copper the most in their products. Bronze is more difficult to come by than copper especially in the lower cities. Gold and silver were used to craft fine jewelry. Copper came from Rajasthan while gold came from an upper city known as Karnataka. Crafts and beading were common within wealthier cities.

[hemakabir]

The City of Lothal

The city of Lothal was located in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was believed to have been established around 2200 BCE. Just like the city of Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal was known to have many public washroom facilities. Trade routes crossed between the Harappans and Lothals. In the past, Lothal was a major and prosperous hub for trade, with goods including precious jewelry, stones, and beads being traded to far-flung regions of Africa and West Asia. They invented methods and implements for bead-making that have endured for more than 4,000 years. The enormous dockyard at Lothal is the site's most striking feature. It is also one of the earliest discoveries of the city. It is a major factor in the significance of this location. The dock stretches 37 meters from east to west and over 22 meters from north to south. It is regarded by some as the best example of early architecture created prior to the advent of Christ. Beads, gems, and jewelry were traded along the routes of the Harappan cities. Some archaeologists would rather call the construction a vast tank that may have served as a reservoir than to believe that it was a dockyard. The acropolis in Lothal is located in the town's upper drainage systems. In the wealthier cities, kitchens, washrooms, and wells were distributed. Fire altars and artwork were common in the city of Lothal. The downfall of the city of Lothal began with shifts in rivers and flooding. Public works were neglected since there was no central government and no outside agency, and the administration was badly run. Stocks were kept in the severely damaged warehouse under wooden canopies, where they were vulnerable to fire and floods. The building had never been properly restored. The metropolis's economy changed. Trade volumes have sharply declined.

[hemakabir]

The City of Mohenjo-Daro



The City of Mohenjo-Daro was first established in The Indus Valley Civilization in 2500 BCE. The City of Mohenjo-Daro is an archaeological site built in Pakistan, specifically in Sindh. Kot Diji is also located in Sindh. This connects to one of the phases of the City of Harappa. Mohenjo-Daro was one of the world's largest and earliest cities. The materials they used were fired and dried mud brick to build their architecture. The level of social organization is high which can be due to the city’s division. The City of Mohenjo-Daro is divided into two categories. One is known as the Citadel and the other is known as the Lower City. The Citadel is known to be wealthier with public restrooms and a design suited to hold 5,000 civilians. The most popular art in the city is known as a young dancing girl in bronze material. The Great Bath is another structure located in Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan. It was made in 3000 BCE and was made from the remains of the Indus civilization. The material it is made out of is brick and is about 897 square feet. The architecture is known to be some form of ritual bathing. One key fact about the Mohenjo-Daro was that it consisted of many restrooms and water wells. It is also the religious one of the two and holds ceremonial assemblies. The Lower City was known to have a middle class standing with small houses and restrooms. It is unknown in regards of which of the two advanced further between the Harappā Indus Civilization and Mohenjo-Daro. Flooding was a major problem in the City of Mohenjo-Daro. The city’s flooding was an ongoing issue and is believed to have flooded over 5 times. In the end, the efforts of protecting the city against flooding failed. It is known that a final flood washed up the city into a muddy mess. This resulted in the complete extinction of the site.

[hemakabir]

The City of Harappa

The City of Harappa was first established as the Indus Valley Civilization which is now located in Pakistan. It is a site located in eastern Punjab and eastern Pakistan near a river known as the Ravi River. The City of Harappa’s peak civilization was from the years 2600-1900 BCE. The city, consisting of smaller cities and towns, covers more than a million square kilometers. The present day Harappā is built on the ruins of the city’s archaeological site. The Ravi aspect represents the earliest Indus period occupancy at Harappa. When Harappa first emerged, it was a tiny community with a number of workshops where agate beads were crafted by skilled artisans. According to certain evidence, the migrants who initially established Harappa were likely from older generations of the Ravi phase site. There were a few major periods during the Harappan phase. The first phase was the Kot Diji Phase which took place in 2800-2500 BCE. The material used for the city walls were bricks that were sun-baked. Societal standings were evident based on the looks of cemeteries. The Indus Script was also one of the first known technologies during the time. The second phase is known as the Mature Harappan Phase. This phase took place from 2600-1900 BCE. Their city was ruled by religious leaders and aristocratic workers. There were archaeological advancements as well during this era such as drains and wells. The third and last phase was known as the Late Harappan Phase. This phase took place during 1900-1300 BCE. This is when the city began to falter because of uncertain river conditions. Because of this, many people had to flee to cities with river banks. As a result of this, there were declines in agricultural advancements. The Harappans food economy was centered on fishing, hunting, and agriculture. Some of the things they farmed were wheat, barley and peas.