The Dawn of Everything A New History of Humanity
This much-hyped book, a hefty 700 pages, tries to write a "new history of humanity" by undermining the standard preconception that there was some sort of inevitable march towards cities and states and
124 new and classic books on the ancient Indus civilization, from exhibition catalogues to excavation reports, from the scientific to imaginative fiction for kids and adults.
Prehistoric Civilization of the Indus Valley
These lectures at the University of Madras in 1935 by the archaeologist K. N. Dikshit is a little known but well-written and surprisingly relevant summary of what was known about the ancient Indus civilization after the first 14 years of excavations.
Monuments, Objects, Histories: Institutions of Art in Colonial and Post-Colonial India
"The indigenous seems to reside and grow deep within the colonial," writes the author (p. 86) of this book.
Artefacts of History Archaeology, Historiography and Indian Pasts
An excellent history of archeological inquiry in India, with special focus on the Indus civilization and how perspectives like Gordon Childe's and other outdated ideas helped shape inquiry and debate for a long time.
The Marshall Albums: Photography and Archaeology
This volume explores multiple perceptions of Indian history and scholarship produced through archaeological fieldwork and related photography during the colonial period. The focus is on John Marshall, the man who really made the Archaeological Survey of India the formidable player it became in the reconstruction and preservation of Indian history. He announced and fostered the discovery of the ancient Indus civilization, even as the hard work on the ground was done by a handful of Indian archaeologists.
The Indus: Lost Civilizations
There are almost no concise, up-to-date accounts of the ancient Indus civilization, locating the latest facts and opinions within a larger intellectual context. Has the Indus script been deciphered? What can we say about the relationship of ancient Indus traditions and modern Hinduism? How did Indus society compare to contemporary Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia? Why do so many questions remain open and so contentious?
A Day in the Life of Maya of Mohenjo-daro
Published in 1968, A Day in the Life of Maya of Mohenjo-Daro by Mulk Raj Anand was the first ever children’s story, and the second work of Indus Valley fiction after Murdon ka Teela written by Rangeya
A Study of Animal Utilization Strategies from Early to Late Harappa Periods in Haryana
The author writes of his important 284 page thesis, entirely available online: "Through this work, readers will be introduced to both specific and broad overviews of the human-animal based interactions in the Eatern domain of the Indus Valley civilization from its earlier to later phases of existence."
Journey of a Civilization Indus to Vaigai
This is an exceptional book, from its high production value to well marshaled arguments and the broad perspective of its author, R. Balakrishnan. He has been researching the materials for decades in a careful and constructive manner. It is also a tribute to the late Iravatham Mahadevan, one of my favorite people in ancient Indus studies and India's most accomplished Indus script scholar.
Lost and Found Prehistoric Pottery Treasures from Baluchistan
"The collection was seized on June 11th, 2005 in the customs building of the Karachi sea port. In cases like that, the custom officers fill in a form requesting the examination of the artefacts by a competent authority who will receive this consignment."
Art of Human Figures from the Iberian Peninsula to the Indus
An amazing catalogue of female figurines from Neolithic times across the world, in places connected and witness to constantly shifting populations. Beautifully illustrated, with focus on Mehrgarh and the Indus Valley pieces which are seen in connection to a long, sophisticated tradition.
Current Research in Indus Archaeology
A recent publication by the South Asia Research Group at Kansai University in Japan that includes detailed essays covering a general picture of Indus research today (by Akinori Uesugi), Indus civilization in the Ghaggar Basin (Vivek Dangi) , Indus archaeology in Gujarat (Rajesh S.V.), steatite style variations between Gujarat and the Ghaggar-Hakra Basin (Gregg Jamison) and Indus copper wares (Takekazu Nagae).
Walking with the Unicorn: Social Organization and Material Culture in Ancient South Asia: Jonathan Mark Kenoyer Felicitation Volume
Walking with the Unicorn is an extraordinary volume and tribute to Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and his profound and extensive impact on the field of ancient Indus studies. Contributors include some 80% of the world's leading ancient Indus scholars who contributed some 45 illustrated articles.
Time Pieces: A Whistle-Stop Tour of Ancient India
A delightful romp through 10 themes in ancient India by a smart and engaging writer who knows her Indus civilization history and all that which followed. These brief essays give some sense of how engaging history can be in the hands of a good writer, not afraid to take risks and push material politically and theoretically while keeping her feet on the ground.
The Magic in the Image: Women in Clay at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
Do the many female figurines at Indus sites justify the belief that the worship of a "mother Goddess" was prevalent then? One of India's most distinguished archaeologists offers a contrary viewpoint in this deeply informed, multi-faceted analysis of these figurines.
Early Indians : The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From
There is so much going on in DNA studies – even if pre-figured by linguistic studies – that having a solid guide to stitch it all together, including papers that landed with a giant thud in 2018, would be so very, very nice. Someone who could put it together for the layman or intelligent observer who finds it hard to sort through headlines and the latest pronouncements (and simplifications).
Seals and Sealing in the Ancient World
Case Studies from the Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, and South Asia
Finally, the book we have long – decades, in fact – been waiting for, a comprehensive view of seals and sealings in the ancient world, from the Mediterranean to the Indus Valley. This has been essential because, as the authors argue from the very start, seals were social objects.
Ceramic and Terracotta Figurines from Balochistan of the Katolec Collection
An exceptional, beautifully illustrated book of over 200 pieces in the Japanese Katolec Corporation collection of pottery and associated art of the pre- and contemporary to ancient Indus Nal and Kulli cultures of the 3rd millennium BCE Balochistan. The photography is excellent, the specimens extraordinary.
Harappan Archaeology: Early State Perspectives
Shereen Ratnagar is one of the most important theoreticians of the Indus valley civilization and its archaeological practice. Book reviewer and author, Sudeshna Guha notes in her review of Early State Perspectives, "Through her earlier research, Ratnagar had shown that the political system of statehood possibly provided the Harappan Civilization its distinctive cultural form."
Dilmun
There is a dearth of ancient Indus-based fiction in English; there are even fewer works in Hindi or Urdu. Yakoob Yawar's Dilmun is among the very few exceptions (indeed, it was the second novel ever to be set in the ancient Indus civilization, 50 years after the Hindi Murdon ka Teela by Rangeya Raghava).