During the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, the Harappan Civilization covered an area of over one million square kilometers in South Asia, from the Afghan highlands to western India. Excavations at large urban sites like Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Dholavira, as well as at smaller production sites, such as Lothal and Chanhu-daro, have shed much light on this impressive civilization, whose expansion seems to have been based on its extensive trade networks and shared ideologies. Although the Harappan sites of the Indus Valley and beyond have been the subject of intensive investigation for over 80 years, some aspects of this exceptional culture, particularly the lack of a readable script, have left us with more questions than answers. Because of the difficulty in comprehending a society that spans such a large area—without the help of written texts—studies have tended to focus on small-scale issues, like the local organization of craft production or on overarching cultural trends, such as whether the Harappan Civilization could be considered a state. With the exception of a few studies, regional variations within the system are rarely discussed.
This article by Dr. Marta Ameri challenges the long-held assumption of homogeneity across the Harappan Civilization by examining regional variations in seal iconography and style. Using art historical methodologies, Ameri analyzes square stamp seals from six different sites across the Greater Indus Valley to demonstrate that beneath the supposed uniform "veneer" of Harappan material culture lay significant regional diversity. By focussing on seals from major urban centers (Harappa and Mohenjo-daro), smaller classical Harappan sites (Chanhu-daro and Lothal), and sites in the Eastern Domain (Kalibangan and Banawali), and through detailed iconographic and stylistic analysis, Ameri reveals striking differences in seal distribution, carving quality, and animal representations across these regions. While the research demonstrates that unicorn seals dominate most sites (comprising about 80% of assemblages in heartland sites), this percentage varies significantly—from 89% at Lothal to just 17% at Banawali. Furthermore sites in the Eastern Domain show distinctive features: animals frequently face right instead of left, unique motifs like goats with fish symbols appear, and mythological themes are far more prevalent than in heartland sites.
Dr. Ameri's comparison provides compelling evidence for regional diversity that previous scholars had largely overlooked or dismissed. It also challenged oversimplified notions of Harappan uniformity. By demonstrating that even standardized elements like seals show regional variation, Ameri opens new avenues for understanding Harappan social organization and cultural identity. Her observation that different artifact classes showed varying degrees of standardization (seals being more variable than weights) could be a stepping stone to important insights into Harappan administrative priorities. The stylistic analysis revealing differences in carving quality and technique between sites like Lothal and Kalibangan adds another important dimension. The "hatched neck" unicorn feature, present in 66% of Kalibangan seals but only 21% at Lothal, provides strong evidence for regional workshops and distinctive stylistic traditions. Carefully looking at things that are similar reveal small but important differences that tell a more complex story of Indus integration than is often assumed when we look at the culture from great distances in time that favor generalization and abstraction.
Dr. Ameri convincingly demonstrates regional variation, but her interpretations of what these differences mean remain largely speculative. The suggestion that iconographic differences reflect "different social, ethnic, or economic groups" requires more supporting evidence from other material culture categories or contextual data; however this is a function of how little we know about these groups and categories, not to speak of differences between them, in general.
This study supported a crucial shift in recent decades in ancient Indus archaeology from viewing the civilization as monolithic to recognizing its internal complexity and supports Gregory Possehl's earlier recognition of regional domains. Through seal analysis, it provides concrete material evidence for these divisions.