Ancient Indus Weights
July 3rd, 2017
"The weights are precisely made, well polished and systematic (though unfortunately not inscribed with any Indus characters, which would have helped scholars to decipher the script's numerical system)."
Etched Carnelian Beads
By Nadine Zubair May 14th, 2017
In 1933, Ernest Mackay wrote about his meeting with a craftsman named Sahebdino in Sehwan (Sindh) who showed him how to etch carnelian.
Chanhiyun Jo Daro Jar Painted with Birds
April 20th, 2017
One of the finest ancient Indus painted jars ever found, excavated at Chanhu-daro during the 1935-36 season led by Ernest MacKay, who wrote that "a circle motif takes a prominent place, and in vessels of this kind, about half the painted area is usually occupied by this pattern."
Indus River Fishing and Fishmongers: A Look Back
By Nadine Zubair February 18th, 2017
These postcards from the early 1900s and albumen photographs from the 1860s give us a glimpse into some of the fishing technologies and practices that were in use at the time. Combining information from multiple sources, including archival images and narratives, enables us to draw conclusions about what the material culture and social practices of the people of the Indus Valley might have been like.
1. The first postcard is from the early 1900s, probably around 1905 in Sindh Province.
Mehrgarh Wheel Amulet Analysis Yields Many Secrets
By Nadine Zubair November 28th, 2016
One of the most exciting discoveries of the year: a detailed, full-field photoluminescence study of a 6,000 year old copper "wheel" amulet from Mehrgarh in Balochistan has opened the door to many new facts about this period of history.
Carnelian and Gold Pendant
By StephanieV. April 5th, 2012
Carnelian and gold pendant or hair ornament found at Harappa. What else might it have been 4000 years ago? Jonathan Mark Kenoyer's article Wealth and Socioeconomic Hierarchies of the Indus Valley Civilizations discusses gold and ancient Indus culture.
