Food

What is known about the food habits of the Indus Valley people? Have any cooking utensils/equipment, charred remains of food or agricultural implements been found? Wheat kind of bread was their staple, perhaps baked in ovens or cooked over fire? Did they grow lentils - one of the key elements of sub-continental food? Submitted by Colleen

Submitted by Giuseppe

Rita Wright
The Harappans in the urban period had a varied diet principally based on wheat, barley, millets and cattle, sheep and goat. In my book, Ancient Indus: Urbanism, Economy and Society, there are two chapters that list these different foods. These are Chapters 6 and 7. My answer is based on the result of the research of Steven Weber our paleobotanist sometimes called archaeobotanist.

We keep reading that agriculture was prevalent in the Indus Valley Civilisation. But when I read about the planning of the settlements, I was confused as to where exactly the fields were located. Were they outside the walled settlements? Or were they located somewhere within the Lower Town? Submitted by Rizowana Hussaini

I would like to know if the valley was green and fertile at that time... and if the cultivation of sugar cane, a highly aggressive culture, and the use of timber to construct led to environmental degradation of the area which then became dry and hostile.

Did the Indus valley civilization people cultivate paddy or wheat? Was their diet vegan or vegetarian? 3 scholars reply.