Chanhudaro
Indus Valley civilization | |
Site notes | |
---|---|
Excavation dates | 1931, 1935–1936, 2015-2023 |
Archaeologists | Nani Gopal Majumdar, Ernest John Henry Mackay, Dorothy Mackay, Aurore Didier, David Sarmiento-Castillo |
Chanhu-daro is an
Chanhudaro was first excavated by
Since 2015 the archaeological excavations have been carried out by the French Archaeological Mission in the Indus Basin[2] (MAFBI),[3] directed by Aurore Didier[4] (CNRS). The excavations are carried out in cooperation with the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan and the Culture Department, Government of Sindh
Historical significance
Chanhudaro is one of the most important sites of
Early excavation
Chanhudaro is about 12 miles east of present-day Indus river bed. Chanhu-Daro was investigated in 1931 by the Indian archaeologist N. G. Majumdar. It was observed that this ancient city was very similar to Harappa and Mohenjadaro in several aspects like town planning, building layout etc.[9]
The site was excavated in the mid-1930s by the American School of Indic and Iranian Studies and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, where several important details of this ancient city was investigated.[10]
Town planning
For building houses, baked bricks were used extensively at Chanhudaro and Mohenjo-daro.[11] Several constructions were identified as workshops or industrial quarters and some of the buildings of Chanhudaro might have been warehouses.[12]
Industrial activity
Evidence of shell working was found at Chanhudaro and bangles and ladles were made at this site.[13] Harappan seals were made generally in bigger towns like Harappa, Mohenjadaro and Chanhudaro which were involved with administrative network.[14]
Artefacts found
Copper knives, spears, razors, tools,[15] axes, vessels and dishes were found, causing this site to be nicknamed the "Sheffield of India" by Ernest Mackay.[16][17] Copper fish hooks were also recovered from this site.[18] Terracotta cart models, a small terracotta bird which when blown acts as a whistle, plates and dishes were found. Male spear thrower or dancer - a broken statue (4.1cm) is of much importance, found at Chanhudaro, is now displayed at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA.[19][20] Indus Seals are also found at Chanhudaro and Chanhudaro is considered one of the centres where seals were manufactured.[21] The scale of craft production at Chanhudaro seems much greater than that at Mohenjodaro, perhaps taking up half of town for this activity.[22]
Bead making factory
An Impressive workshop, recognised as Bead Making Factory, was found at Chanhudaro, which included a furnace.[23] Shell bangles, beads of many materials, steatite seals and metal works were manufactured at Chanhudaro.[24]
A wide variety of materials were used to make beads here, ranging from precious stones like carnelian, jasper, quartz; metals like gold, copper and bronze; and even shell, terracotta (burnt clay) or faience (silica or sand mixed with gum and colour and then burned). These beads were made in a variety of shapes like discs, cylindrical, spherical, segmented or barrel-like. Softer materials like steatite could be moulded easily while other rocks were worked with a paste of steatite powder to make different shapes of beads. Harder stones resulted in geometrical beads.
Cultivation
Sesame, which is a native of South Africa, is known from number of Harappan sites, including Chanhudaro, probably grown for oil.[25] Peas are also grown at Chanhudaro.[26]
Importance
In respect of Indus Script, ||/ sign is only found on inscriptions found at Chanhudaro. It occurred on eleven objects, (around one sixth of all inscribed objects recovered from Chanhudaro) leading to suggestion by Asko Parapola that it may represent town's name.[27]
Cotton cloth traces preserved on silver or bronze objects were known from Chanhudaro, Harappa and Rakhigarhi.[28]
Objects of Iron were reported from Chanhudaro, Ahar, Rajasthan and Mundigak and this gains importance as it has been claimed that Iron was produced in 3rd Millennium in South Asia.[29]
Bibliography
- Aurore Didier. Nouvelles recherches sur les débuts de la Civilisation de l'Indus (2500-1900 av. n. è.) au Pakistan. Les fouilles de Chanhu-daro (Sindh). Comptes-rendus des séances de l'Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, Paris : Durand : Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, 2017, Comptes rendus des séances de l'année 2017,, Avril à juin, pp.947-980
- Aurore Didier, David Sarmiento Castillo, Pascal Mongne, Syed Shakir Ali Shah. Resuming excavations at Chanhu-daro, Sindh: First results of the 2015-2017 field-seasons. Pakistan Archaeology, Department of Archaeology and Museums of Pakistan, 2017, 30, pp.69-121.[30]
- Quivron, G. (2000). The Evolution on the Mature Indus Pottery Style in the Light of the Excavations at Nausharo, Pakistan. East and West, 50(1/4), 147-190. Retrieved February 5, 2021, from JSTOR 29757453
See also
- Indus Valley civilization
- List of Indus Valley Civilization sites
- List of inventions and discoveries of the Indus Valley Civilization
- Hydraulic engineering of the Indus Valley Civilization
- Sutkagan Dor
- Gola Dhoro
- Kerala-no-dhoro
- Lakhueen-jo-daro
- Harappa
Notes
- ISBN 81-7829-291-2, p.74.
- ^ étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Focus: The French Archaeological Mission in the Indus Basin in Pakistan". France Diplomatie - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
- ^ "Prix Clio à la Recherche Archéologique" (PDF).
- ^ "Aurore Didier | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research - Academia.edu". cnrs.academia.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
- ^ "Saraswathi River". mapsofindia.com. 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ISBN 978-81-946923-3-1, retrieved 2022-05-25
- ^ The Lost River by Michel Danino, Penguin India 2010
- ^ The Lost River by Michel Danino. Penguin 2010
- ^ Possehl, Gregory L. (2004). The Indus Civilization: A contemporary perspective, New Delhi: Vistaar Publications
- ^ about.com.Archeology
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 210
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 229
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley, New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO.
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley, New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO Page 264
- ]
- ^ "Illustrated London News, November 21, 1936". Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- ^ Mackay, Dorothy (1937) "Finds at Chanhu-Daro" (PDF). Asia, July 1937, 501–504
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 135
- ^ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 281
- ^ McIntosh, Jane. (2008) The Ancient Indus Valle: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO.Page 264 [1]
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 303
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 237
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 150
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley, New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 114
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley, New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO
- ^ Asko Parpola (1994)
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 333
- ^ McIntosh, Jane.(2008) The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Page 320 [2]
- ^ Didier, Aurore; Castillo, David Sarmiento; Mongne, Pascal; Shah, Syed Shakir Ali (2017). "Resuming excavations at Chanhu-daro, Sindh: First results of the 2015-2017 field-seasons". Pakistan Archaeology. 30: 69.