Figurines

Articles on the manufacture, purpose and possible ritual uses of figurines from ancient Indus sites.

Women in Ancient Sindh: Bronze Age Figurines of the Indus Valley Civilization

Paolo Biagi
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.

Deconstructing the 'Harappan Courtiers': A Re-evaluation of Some of the Anthropomorphic Terracotta Figurines from Harappa

Sharri R. Clark
A comprehensive and important paper that actually takes on the much larger question of Mesopotamian to Indus influence which animated the work of earlier archaeologists. Clark discusses so-called "Harappan courtiers," figurines with tiaras and flower headresses that are thought to have parallels with Mesopotamian artifacts, particularly the royal burial goods of Queen Puabi.