Sources of Harappan civilization

Our knowledge of the Harappan civilisation is based entirely on the archaeological remains such as buildings, pottery, sculpture, seals and cemeteries. This is so because no adequate written records are available. A number of seals were discovered with a few letters engraved on each, but the script has not been deciphered as yet. Therefore, the major sources of our information about the Harappan Civilisation are the following:-

1. The Great Bath: The Great Bath is one of the largest public buildings at Mohenjo-daro. It has a large rectangular tank in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor on all four sides. There are two flights of steps one in the north and the other in the south leading into the tank. To make the pool watertight, burnt bricks and mortar lined with bitumen and gypsum were used for construction. The water for the bath was provided by a well in an adjacent room. Surrounding the bath, were porticos and sets of rooms, and a stairway which led to an upper storey. Some scholars believe that the rooms were provided for the members of some kind of resthood where other think thar the rooms were provided for changing clothes. This structure with several distinctive features has led scholars to suggest that it was meant for some kind of a ritual bath.

The Great Bath is an important source of Information that throws light on the life of the people and culture of the Harappan Civilisation:   

• The construction of the Great Bath Indientes that the art of building had reached a high degree of perfection at that time.

• The massive structure points out that there might have existed a ruling class that could mobilise labour, collect taxes and build such a huge structure for the public

• Most of the scholars agree that the Great Bath might have been used for religious purposes. This indicates the importance attached to ceremonial bathing in sacred tanks, pools and rivers since time immemorial

• The design of the Great Bath portrays the efficient planning in the structural features relating to water supply and sewage disposal.

2. The Citadel: The raised area of each city was called the Citadel It owed its height to the buildings constructed on mud brick platform The citadel had the houses of the ruling class and important buildings like the Great Bath, the granary, the assembly hall and the workshop. Citadel points to the elaborate planning that went into the development of cities and studies that the Harappan civilisation was urban civilisation. The presence of specific buildings and houses of the ruling class, indicate some sort of social classification.

3. Seals: The seals used by the Harappans show their artistic skills. About 2000 seals have been discovered. Of these a great majority comprise short inscriptions with pictures of the one-horned bull, buffalo, tiger, goat, elephant and rhinoceros. Material used in making the seals comprise terracotta, steatite, agate, etc. Most of the seals are rectangular or quare but some of we are circular in shape. Harappan seals provide useful information about the script, rade religion and beliefs of the Harappans.

Seals of Pashupati show that people believed in Shiva It shows a three-faced deity wearing a buffalo-horned head dress, seated cross-legged on a throne and surrounded by an elephant, a tiger, a buffalo and a rhinoceros, with two deer at his feet. This deity has been identified as Pashupati Mahadeva.   

The unicorn seal shows their mythical beliefs. The seals bear some kind of script which has not yet been deciphered.

The seals were used by traders to stamp their goods. After a bag with goods was tied, a layer of wet clay was applied on the knot, and the seal was pressed on it. These seals were found in different regions. This indicates that the Harappan trade had spread over a vast area.    

4. Bearded Man: The stone sculpture of a man with a beard was discovered from Mohenjo-daro. The statue has a shawl worn over the left shoulder and the eyes are half-closed. Therefore, some scholars believe that this is the statue of a yogi. This sculpture is of high artistic value and points to the existence of skilled artisans in the Harappan Civilisation.

5. Dancing Girl: The bronze statue of a dancing girl, found at Mohenjo-daro, is a masterpiece of art and it shows a high degree of development in the art of sculpture. The figurine shows vigour, variety and ingenuity. The right arm of the dancing girl rests on the hip and the left arm is heavily bangled. It holds a small bowl against her left leg.

6. Dockyard: A rectangular dockyard was discovered at Lothal in Gujarat. It was surrounded by a massive brick wall, probably as a protection against floods. The dockyard made of baked bricks, was connected by channels to the Gulf of Cambay. Lothal was an important trading and manufacturing centre of the Indus Valley civilization and was used for carrying out overseas trade.

7. Script: The Harappans used a script which is regarded as pictographic since its signs represent birds fish and varieties of the human form. The number of signs of Harappan script is known to be between 375 and 400. The script is found Inscribed on a number of seals, copper tools, rims of jars, copper  and terracotta tablets, jewellery and on an ancient signboard.