Harappan Craft Specialization and the Question of Urban Segregation and Stratification
Defining specialized crafts in Indus cities and the methodologies needed for studying crafts in an archaeological context.
Ancient Indus civilization articles which can be downloaded and read as PDF files from this site.
The Tiny Steatite Seals of Harappa
A closer look at the tablets discovered at Harappa during HARPS excavations and the locations where they were discovered at the site.
Seals and Sculptures of the Indus Cities
An exhibition being held in New York and Madison, Wisconsin, in 1998 on the representational art of the Indus Valley reveals a highly developed artistic tradition with many styles and techniques of production.
Sensitivity of Indus Script to Site and Type of Object
An important new article compares the occurrence of seals in Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Lothal, Kalibangan, Chanhudaro.
Urban Process in the Indus Tradition: A Preliminary Model from Harappa
An examination of the city's settlement remains which changed with the onset of urban growth and development in Harappa.
Stoneware Industry of the Indus Civilization: An Evolutionary Dead-end in the History of Ceramic Technology
An article examining the construction of ceramic stoneware in the Indus Valley Civilization with a focus on Mohenjo-daro.
The Aryan Homeland Debate in India
An incisive look at the debate around this issue by one of India's foremost archaeological thinkers. Ratnagar looks at the issue in light of Indian Independence and the various political issues and currents that affect archaeological discourse and interpretations.
Women in Ancient Sindh: Bronze Age Figurines of the Indus Valley Civilization
In this 2004 article from the quarterly publication Sindh Watch, Paolo Biagi synthesizes the evidence of female clay figurines from Bronze Age sites in the Indus Valley to highlight the social and cultural roles of women in that society. He draws on earlier evidence from the neolithic site of Mehrgarh, in Balochistan, as well as that from mature Harappan sites like Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Based on this analysis he offers the insights into the role of women as depicted in the figurines.
Stone Beads of the Indus Tradition: New Perspectives on Harappan Bead Typology, Technology and Documentation
The beauty of this paper is that it sets out very clearly the procedure needed to document bead types, the careful measurement and classification steps to start understanding a specific bead tradition.
Some Important Aspects of Technology and Craft Production in the Indus Civilization with Specific Reference to Gujarat
It is really nice in a paper to be able to speak both of what is happening now, at the cutting-edge of bead and shell-making Indus craftsmanship and continuing discoveries, and be able to relate each tradition back to its earliest appearance in the subcontinent and elsewhere.