An intriguing article in the way it creates multiple openings in thinking about ancient Indus society. The subject is a set of three of four beads found at a rural "Sorath Harappan" site (2300-1900 BCE) in Gujarat. >
Madho Sarup Vats (1896–1955, shown above at Mohenjo-daro) was an influential Indian archaeologist best known for his pioneering work on the Indus Valley Civilization, particularly the sites of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. >
"Mehrgarh World's Oldest City" claims the banner in the Lahore Museum gallery, where the wooden display cases seem not to have changed since John Lockwood Kipling was in charge more than a century ago. There are few other places to glimpse some of the finer treasures from this 7000 BCE site in western Balochistan, the oldest larger settlement found in the subcontinent. >
There is a lot to like about this well-written and engaging set of reflections on ancient Indus life and culture. It does not hesitate to examine its biases: "much of our acceptance of the past is a function of the present," writes the author, and "what I present are not arguments . . . these are not free of my prejudices. So approach this book in the spirit of curiosity, not combat." >
The best guess at what some Indus signs may have meant and sounded like, especially the sequence of fish signs, came in this very first book on the ancient script published by an employee of the Indian Educational Service in 1933. >
