Ancient Indus Valley Civilization Books

135 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.

Ahimsa : 100 Reflections on the Harappan Civilization

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."

Disease and Healing in the Indus Civilisation

An absorbing book that brings to the reader in most direct fashion the complexities of living in some of the world's first cities. Dr. Robert Arnott manages to collate the manifold existential challenges inhabitants would have faced and brought them all together for the first time in one place.

Corpus of Indus Inscriptions [I]

This book, at least 15 years in the making, is a major contribution to the study of the ancient Indus script, the product of diligent research and the careful collection of all known Indus inscriptions into a single database and two volume publication.

A Catalog of Indus Signs [II]

This, the second volume of a comprehensive catalog of Indus signs "lists all Indus inscriptions that are currently available and presents the temporal as well as spatial distribution of inscribed

The Forgotten an Approach on Harappan Toy Artefacts

A wide-ranging analysis of toys and their possible role in ancient Indus civilization through a close look at finds from Bagasra, Gujarat. Using social theory, microarchaeology, recent research in other civilizations, and a sophisticated approach to the question of "toys" in archaeology, the author offers one of the few deep dives into a kind of object that is found in great quantities across many ancient Indus sites.

Excavations at Rakigarhi [1997-98 to 1999-2000]

This nearly 400 page illustrated volume by Dr. Amendra Nath from 2014 covers three seasons of excavations (1997-2000), and is "drawn on the lines of the Wheeler Committee Report-1965." As the start of a record about this extensive, important major ancient Indus site, it is invaluable.

ADI A Story of Indus Valley Civilization

Adi is an engaging children's story that covers the journey of a young boy, Adi, son of a copper merchant in Nausharo to Mohenjo-daro with his father sometime during the height of the ancient Indus civilization.

The People of the Indus

Once in a while a book – in this case a graphic novel – comes along that upends what one thinks can be done through a medium for a subject. This book by Nikhil Gulati – with the expert assistance of Dr. Jonathan Mark Kenoyer – is one of the moments.

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.

The Marshall Albums: Photography and Archaeology

The Marshall Albums: Photography and Archaeology by Sudeshna Guha

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?

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.

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