The archaeological finds from Harappan sites help us in reconstructing the society of the period. We get an idea about the dress styles and food habits of Harappan society. We also get information about the trade and crafts and various social groups .
Dress Styles
What did the Harappans look like?
The study of the skeletal remains shows that the Harappans looked like the present day north Indians. Their faces, complexion and height were more or less similar to the present day people living in those areas. But the similarities end here. They did not wear the shirts and trousers or Salwar-Kameej like the modern men and women.
Must read: Mohenjo-daro : an example of a planned urban centre
What did the Harappans wore?
We can have some idea about their dresses and fashions by a study of contemporary sculptures and terracotta figurines.
Men are mostly shown wearing a dress which would be wrapped round the lower half of the body with one end worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm-like the modern saree.
The other dress was a kilt and a shirt worn by both men and women. The men arranged their hair in various ways sometimes making buns and using headbands.
Must read: Urban planning and culture in the Indus Valley Civilisation
Did the Harappans wore ornaments?
The men used many more ornaments than the modern Indians. They would be wearing ring, bracelets and ornaments round their neck and hands.
Women seem to have used ornaments on their waist. Women wore a large number of necklaces. Bangles too were in fashion and of course there was no end to the number of ways in which hair was arranged.
What type of hair style the Harappans preferred?
Men and women alike had long hair.
Growing beard was fashionable but they would shave their moustaches.
Did the Harappans used cotton clothes?
They used cotton clothes also, that in one sculpture the cloth was shown as having trefoil pattern and red colours.
However, for all his fashionableness if we saw a man from Harappa walk on the road-to our eyes he will probably resemble a mendicant more than anyone else.
Must read: Architecture of the Indus Valley Civilization
Food Habits
What was the staple food of Harappans?
The Harappans of Sind and Punjab ate wheat and barley as their staple food. Those who stayed in towns of Rajasthan had to be content with barley only. The Harappans of Gujarat in places like Rangpur and Surkotdla preferred rice and millet.
From where, the Harappans got their supply of protein and fat?
They got their supply of fat and oil from sesame seeds, mustard and possibly Ghee.
Did the Harappans used sugar to sweeten their food?
We do not know whether they were familiar with sugarcane to supply them sugar. They might have used honey to sweeten their food.
What type of fruits the Harappans ate?
Seeds of jujube and dates found in the Harappan sites indicate their preference for these fruits. It is likely that they also ate bananas, pomegranates, melons, lemons, figs and of course mangoes.
They seem to have consumed a whole range of wild nuts and fruits but it is difficult to identify them. They were eating peas too.
Did the Harappans relished non-vegetarian food?
Apart from this the Harappans seem to have relished non-vegetarian food. Bones of deer, bears, sheep and goats have been frequently found in the Harappan settlements. Fish, milk and curd too would be
known to them.
Must read: Lessons from the urban planning and cultural aspects of Indus Valley Civilisation
Language and Script
What language did the Harappans speak and what did they read and write?
It is not very clear to us. We have discovered the written script of the Harappans but have not deciphered it as yet.
Some scholars believe that the language written there is ancestral to the Dravidian group of languages like Tamil. Some other writers think that it was ancestral to an Aryan language like Sanskrit. However, no one has proved his case beyond doubt.
However, one noticeable thing about their script is that it did not change all through the life of the Harappan Civilization. All the other ancient scripts have showed distinct changes over a period of time.
This indicates that the Harappan script was not in common use. Perhaps a very small section of privileged scribes had a monopoly over the written word.
Must read: Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization
Warfare
Did they play and did they fight?
We know that they played dice. They did fight-and there is enough evidence for it.
At the time of the emergence of the Harappan Civilization many ‘Early Harappan’ sites like Kot Diji and Kalibangan were burnt down. However an accidental fire could destroy large towns, but it is more likely that some of the settlements were burnt down by victorious human groups.
Then there is the evidence of some skeletons lying scattered in the streets of Mohenjodaro.
Human societies from times immemorial have disposed off the bodies of their dead in some ordered fashion. It is natural that the Harappans would not leave their dead to rot in the streets. So, obviously some extraordinary conflict is indicated when the Harappans did not get an opportunity to bury their dead.
The presence of citadels and fortification around many Harappan towns also indicates a need for protection against outsiders. Some of the protection walls might have been bunds for protection against floods.
But given the opulence of the Harappan townships in contrast to the surrounding rural communities it is likely that the Harappans wanted to protect their wealth and life by fortifying their settlements. Many copper and bronze weapons have also been reported.
Main Crafts
What did the Harappans do for a living?
Most of the people were engaged in agriculture. However, quite a few Harappan townsmen were engaged in various other kinds of activities.
Bead making was one of the favourite activities of the Harappans. In settlements like Mohenjodaro,
Chanhudaro and Lothal a fairly large number of Harappans were engaged in this work.
Since a variety of stones like Carnelian, Lapis Lazul, Agate and Jasper were used for making beads it is likely that there were specialised bead makers for each type of stone.
Some other Harappans specialized in making stone tools. Apart from them groups of potters, copper and bronze workers, stone workers, builders of houses, brick makers and seal-cutters must have lived in Harappan towns.
When we talk about the Harappan Civilization, we are basically referring to seals, bricks, pots and other such objects surviving from those times. These objects presuppose the existence of their makers.
Burial Practices of the IVC
Dead bodies were placed in the North-South direction (extended inhumation) and were accompanied by food, pottery, jewellery, etc. The graveyard was within the settlement. They practised three types of burial:-
• Complete burial.
• Fractional burial (burial of bones after exposure of the body to birds and beasts).
• Cremation followed by burial of the ashes.
The burial practices show their strong belief in life after death, which was similar to the belief system of other contemporary civilizations, however; the items kept were not as expensive as other civilizations (unlike those of the elites in Egypt and Mesopotamia).
External link: https://www.worldhistory.org/Indus_Valley_Civilization/
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Which of the following characterize/characterizes the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation? UPSC 2013
(1) They possessed great palaces and temples
(2) They worshipped both male and female deities.
(3) They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare.
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1, 2, and 3
(d) None of the above
Ans (b)
QUES . Regarding the Indus Valley Civilisation, consider the following statements: UPSC 2011
(1) It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious element, though present, did not dominate the scene.
(2) During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing textiles in India
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans (c)
Very informative
Nicely written