Gwen Robbins Schug

Ancient Indus questions answered by Dr. Gwen Robbins Shug, Professor of Archaeology at Appalachian State University and editor of A Companion to South Asia in the Past. She has numerous articles on this website.

61. Is there any research going on in analysing DNA of human remains to identify their origins? If not why not?

Gwen Robbins Schug

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

Massimo Vidale

Mayank Vahia

Paolo Biagi

Another answer to a question from you by our panel of leading ancient Indus archaeologists.

83. What do we know about the ecology of the Indus Valley (and the adjacent areas) during the period in which this civilization prospered?

How much of the area that we now see as desert was actually forested in those times?

84. Is it possible for cotton used by the Indus Valley Civilization to preserved still after all these years?

Gwen Robbins Schug

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

Massimo Vidale

Rita P. Wright

For arguments sake if we assume the people of IVC wrote manuscripts in such mediums as cotton, is it possible for those manuscripts to be still preserved? If so, under what conditions, would they be preserved?

86. If you were a child in the ancient Indus valley, what would an average day be like for you?

Gwen Robbins Schug, Paolo Biagi, Rita P. Wright and Nisha Yadav answer.

87. Is there any indication of slavery or ritual human sacrifice in the IVC?

Gwen Robbins Schug

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

Rita P. Wright

Gwen Robbins Schug, Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and Rita P. Wright answer.

89. What is the relevance of Harappan civilization in today's world?

Answered by Massimo Vidale, Mayank Vahia, Gwen Robbins Schug, Nisha Yadav, Paolo Biagi and Rita P. Wright

92. What do we know of Ancient Indus government?

Gwen Robbins Schug

Massimo Vidale

Surely for a civilization to be so strong, it would need some sort of system of government. Yet I have heard very little evidence of a ruling party or even so much as a hierarchy or caste system within the civilization?