The Ancient Indus Valley : New Perspectives

The Indus Valley gave rise to one of the most sophisticated civilizations of the Bronze Age, a remarkably peaceful society that developed everything from a complex political organization to sanitary plumbing to a rich mythology. Then it vanished, forgotten by history for millenia, until remarkable finds in the 1920s led to its rediscovery. The Indus Valley Gave Rise To A Sophisticated Bronze Age Civilization - A Uniquely Peaceful Society That Developed Everything From A Complex Government To Sanitary Plumbing To Maritime Trade To A Rich Mythology. Yet It Was Completely Forgotten Until Its Remarkable Rediscovery In The 1920s. This Volume Offers A Revealing Study Of A Civilization That Was The Equal Of Mesopotamia And Ancient Egypt, One That Covered A Far Larger Region Yet Lasted A Much Shorter Time And Is Far Less Well Known. Researchers Have Tentatively Reconstructed A Model Of Indus Life From The Limited Material That Remains. Based On Important Findings From Recent Surveys And Excavations In South Asia And Neighboring Regions, The Ancient Indus Valley Explains What Is Now Known About The Indus Civilization's Roots In The Farming Cultures Of Prehistoric South Asia, As Well As The Hallmarks Of Its Extraordinary Development. It Is An Eye-opening Introduction To A Vanished World - And A Stirring Testament To Archaeology's Power To Recover The Past.--jacket. Pt. I. Introduction -- Ch. 1. Introduction -- The Indus In Its Setting -- A Lost Civilization -- A Land Of Unsolved Mysteries -- Pt. 2. Indus Civilization -- Ch. 2. Location Of The Indus Civilization And Its Environmental Setting -- Location -- The Environmental Setting -- The Changing Landscape -- Environmental Degradation -- Ch. 3. Historical And Chronological Setting -- History Of The Investigation Of South Asia's Past -- Studying The Indus Civilization -- Ch. 4. Origins, Growth, And Decline Of The Indus Civilization -- Early South Asia (ca. 2 To 1 Million-7000 Bce) -- Early Farmers In Northwest South Asia (7000-4300 Bce) -- Later Settlements (4300-3200 Bce) -- The Early Indus (early Harappan) Period (3200-2600 Bce) -- The Transition (2600-2500/2450 Bce) -- The Mature Indus Civilization (2600-1900/1800 Bce) -- The Posturban (late Harappan) Period (1900/1800-1300 Bce) -- Ch. 5. Economics -- Subsistence Patterns -- Arable Agriculture -- Animal Husbandry -- Aquatic Resources --^ Wild Resources -- Ch. 6. Resources, Trade, And Communications -- Introduction -- Internal Trade And Communications -- South Asian Trade And Exchange -- Overland Trade Across The Iranian Plateau -- Gulf Trade -- Later Developments In Local And International Trade -- Ch. 7. Settlements -- Settlements And Settlement Patterns -- Cities, Towns, And Villages -- The Features Of Urban Centers -- Ch. 8. Social And Political Organization -- Introduction -- Clues To Social Organization -- Clues To Political Organization -- Ch. 9. Religion And Ideology -- Introduction -- Religious Structures -- Iconography -- Ritual Practices -- The Treatment Of The Dead -- Reconstructing Harappan Religion -- Ch. 10. Material Culture -- Workshops And Factories -- Construction -- Artifacts -- Art -- Ch. 11. Intellectual Accomplishments -- Numbers, Time, And Space -- Languages -- The Indus Script -- Ch. 12. The Indus Civilization Today -- The Emergence Of Harappan Civilization --^ Theories On The Sociopolitical Organization Of The Indus State -- Indus Collapse -- General -- History Of Discovery -- Indus Antecedents -- The Indus Civilization In South Asian Culture -- Neighbors Of The Indus Civilization -- The End Of The Indus Civilization And The Post-harappan Period -- Economy, Trade, And Foreign Relations -- Industry, Technology, And Science -- The Harappan People -- Social And Political Organization -- Settlement And Settlements -- Language, Writing, And Seals -- Useful Web Pages -- Journals And Occasional Publications. Jane R. Mcintosh. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "The Indus Valley gave rise to a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization - a uniquely peaceful society that developed everything from a complex government to sanitary plumbing to maritime trade to a rich mythology. Yet it was completely forgotten until its remarkable rediscovery in the 1920s. This volume offers a revealing study of a civilization that was the equal of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, one that covered a far larger region yet lasted a much shorter time and is far less well known." "Researchers have tentatively reconstructed a model of Indus life from the limited material that remains. Based on important findings from recent surveys and excavations in South Asia and neighboring regions, The Ancient Indus Valley explains what is now known about the Indus civilization's roots in the farming cultures of prehistoric South Asia, as well as the hallmarks of its extraordinary development. It is an eye-opening introduction to a vanished world - and a stirring testament to archaeology's power to recover the past."--BOOK JACKET Contents Series Editor’s Preface Maps PART 1: INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Introduction PART 2: INDUS CIVILIZATION Chapter 2: Location of the Indus Civilization and Its Environmental Setting Chapter 3: Historical and Chronological Setting Chapter 4: Origins Chapter 5: Economics Chapter 6: Resources Chapter 7: Settlements Chapter 8: Social and Political Organization Chapter 9: Religion and Ideology Chapter 10: Material Culture Chapter 11: Intellectual Accomplishments PART 3: CURRENT ASSESSMENT Chapter 12 The Indus Civilization Today Glossary Chronology Resources for Further Study General History of Discovery Indus Antecedents The Indus Civilization in South Asian Culture Neighbors of the Indus Civilization The End of the Indus Civilization and the Post-Harappan Period Economy Industry The Harappan People Social and Political Organization Settlement and Settlements Language Useful Web Pages Journals and Occasional Publications Index This work is a revealing study of the enigmatic Indus civilization and how a rich repertoire of archaeological tools is being used to probe its puzzles.The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives takes readers back to a civilization as complex as its contemporaries in Mesopotamia and Egypt, one that covered a far larger region, yet lasted a much briefer time (less than a millennium) and left few visible traces.Researchers have tentatively reconstructed a model of Indus life based on limited material remains and despite its virtually indecipherable written record. This volume describes what is known about the roots of Indus civilization in farming culture, as well as its far-flung trading network, sophisticated crafts and architecture, and surprisingly war-free way of life. Readers will get a glimpse of both a remarkable piece of the past and the extraordinary methods that have brought it back to life.