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Shereen Ratnagar

Ancient Indus questions answered by Dr. Shereen Ratnagar, was Professor of Archaeology at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India and is now an independent scholar noted for her work on investigating the apparent decline of Indus Civilization. She is author of Trading Encounters and End of the Great Harappan Tradition. She has numerous articles on this website.

22. Is there any evidence showing any connection to the Vedic Gods, such as Mithr (Mihr, Mehr, Mir)?

Iravatham Mahadevan
Shereen Ratnagar

Submitted by Steve

Shereen Ratnagar
No way of knowing—but the Vedas are centuries later. I do not find much attraction in theories that conjure up Brahmanical deities, even later Puranic deities, in connection with Harappan images. We require a modicum of “chronological discipline”(—let us choose a better term for this in our discussions).

30. Was there something mysterious that provided balance to Mesopotamian-IVC trade?

Jane McIntosh
Shereen Ratnagar
Rita P. Wright

Trade between Indus Valley and Mesopotamia appears rather skewed in IVC's favour. IVC exported Gold jewelery, Ivory seals & boxes, Timber, Cotton textiles, Copper & bronze fish-hooks, Carnelian & precious stone beads, Live chicken, Shell & bone inlays, and even Water buffaloes. Mesopotamia exported only Silver, Tin and Copper ingots, Woollen textiles and Bitumen. Could it have been be sex trafficking from Ur, Dilmun and Magan to Sutkagen Dor, Sokhta Koh, Balakot and Allahdino?

31. What is the best thing that could happen to ancient Indus studies?

Iravatham Mahadevan
Jane McIntosh
Richard H. Meadow
Shereen Ratnagar
Rita P. Wright

Jane McIntosh
Decipherment of the Indus script would be helpful – if nothing else, it should conclusively settle the non-Aryan/Aryan dispute – but the amount of information this would yield is severely limited.

37. If you had to place money on where a future Rosetta stone with inscriptions in the ancient Indus language and another language might be found, where would you bet?

Iravatham Mahadevan
Jane McIntosh
Richard H. Meadow
Shereen Ratnagar
Rita P. Wright

Jane McIntosh

48. A case has been made for the late Harappans being the Vedic Aryans. What is your view?

Iravatham Mahadevan
Shereen Ratnagar
Rita P. Wright

This case is being made on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Did the people of Indus Valley Civilization interact with people of the Rigveda? What is the relationship between the Indus Valley people and Vedic people? Submitted by Shubha Khandekar and others

44. Who is excavating in the ancient Indus area right now, and where and can students participate?

Richard H. Meadow
Shereen Ratnagar
Rita P. Wright

Submitted bu Ane À Ailes

Science Versus Social Science - did the Rains do the Harappans in?

47:00

Professor Ratnagar critiques environmental theories as the sole explanation for the End of the Harappan Tradition, and suggests political collapse of the state is a crucial consideration. >

65. Why have Western and Indian experts studied the Harappan civilisation?

Asko Parpola
Massimo Vidale
Shereen Ratnagar

Among the more intriguing questions from site visitors, answered by three Indus archaeologists, from India, Italy and Finland.

66. What were houses like in ancient Indus times?

Paolo Biagi
Shereen Ratnagar

"In a city like Mohenjo-daro, the excavators have said that the thick-walled houses could have taken an upper storey; there were several rooms and courtyards to a house, but whether each of these was the space for specific activities, we don’t know."

19. What have been the most interesting findings about the Harappan Civilization during the last two decades?

Iravatham Mahadevan
Jane McIntosh
Richard H. Meadow
Shereen Ratnagar
Rita P. Wright

What in your view are the most exciting, significant or illuminating insights gained? What avenues would you like to explore in future asssuming absolutely no practical or financial constraints whatsoever? Submitted by Paul Toth and Gharial Abramnova from school student questions

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Answers by Author (6)
  • Asko Parpola
  • Iravatham Mahadevan
  • Jane McIntosh
  • Richard H. Meadow
  • Rita P. Wright
  • Shereen Ratnagar
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