Brief Introduction
The carbon dating Of Indus Valley Civilization revealed that this civilization is much older than 8000 BCE which clearly debunks the theory of invasion by Aryans .
Indus valley civilization is the most ancient civilization all over the world .India that is Bharat is much more ancient than what we imagine today . When anyone tries to glance India with a sense of knowing it in a deep manner , he/she will realize that India is the first region where human culture started to evolve .
This statement is proven to be right when the excavation of Indus valley Civilization which is also known as bronze age civilization , started to happen in 1920 which is considered to be much more ancient than Greece , Mesopotamia , Egypt and others civilization .
The Indus people seem to have conceded that there was a single source for all the three forms of energy. The geometrical rules for the construction of sacrificial altars mentioned in the Vedas are said to symbolize matter or form while fire itself symbolize the energy .
The concept of Yoga is another great contribution of Indus civilization . Both men and deities are shown in Yogic postures on seals . Even beasts are depicted as if under the yogic Mudra .
Excavation of Indus Valley Civilization
The first excavation started in the Punjab region which finally led to the great excavation at Mohenjo- daro in Sindh in 1921 . The excavation undertook under the guidance of Sir John Hubert Marshall who was then in charge of the Archaeological department . This excavation revealed the high prosperity and the kind of amazing skill reached at such an early date .
Discovery of pottery in Indus valley civilization
The Indus potters were highly skilled in making pottery.
They were able to manufacture the pottery in the Plain form , colored form and also glazed pottery and these pottery have the shape of triangle , Cylindrical , Circular , V-shaped having the Wavy lines , parallel straight lines , intersecting circles ,resembling a chessboard like pattern on the pottery which were the basis for geometrical composition .
The pictorial representation of animals , flowers , rivers , fish , snake ,human being ( which is rarely seen ) could be seen on pottery .
The material which is used to make these pots is Terracotta . Terracotta is basically a type of clay which is heated after giving a shape . It is typically brownish or red in color.
The pottery discovered during excavation were both hand made or wheel made but Most of them were wheel made pottery .
The clay which had been used in making pottery was certainly local , brought from the near riverbed ,and the colors which were used for paintings are red , pink , black , cream , brown . The most of the paintings done on the exterior side of the pottery . The interior decoration is comparatively rare .
The clay body of the vessels were heated in a kilns which were 2.1 m in diameter , at a controlled temperature which give us the evidence that they knew how much soil clay , water and temperature given to a pot . There was a space beneath kiln in which the woodfire kindled . The design and the finishing done by the Potter tell us the kind of skill they carried down the ages .
In measure cases , the painting is monochromatic .
Only the specific portion of the vessels were slipped so that the smooth painting or decoration could be done on the vessels . Black , in the form manganiferous hematite is the usual pigment of the painted design and , varies in intensity from brown to a rich purple black .The red , black and also white are used before baking pigments , the green was the color applied after baking .
The other colors which were also used is yellow .
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Uses of pottery in Indus valley civilization
The pottery was made in various shapes like storage jars , bowls , cup , flat plates , handi (pot to cook rice or vegetables ) , and in many other shapes .
- The height of the jar which is around 1.5 feet – 2.5 feet ( 45cm – 65 cm ) may have been used for storage of grains .
- Bowls and flattish dishes have been used for Serving the cooked food and the small vessels used in drinking water .
- The miniature Pottery which has been discovered during the excavation of Harappan civilization which are an inch in height may have been used as a playing objects for children but there are also some possibilities of using these Miniature pottery to connect with some Spiritual powers .
- The perforated jar may have been used for ceremonial purposes which gives us a clear indication that the people living during this period used to believe in reincarnation and Other ritual practices .
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Frequently asked questions :
What kind of pottery was found in Indus valley civilization ?
There have been different kinds of pottery found in Indus valley civilization . These pottery have the shape of triangle , Cylindrical , Circular , V-shaped having the Wavy lines , parallel straight lines , intersecting circles , resembling a chessboard like pattern on the pottery which were the basis for geometrical composition . The pictorial representation of animals , flowers , rivers , fish , snakes ,human beings ( which is rarely seen ) could be seen on pottery . The material which is used to make these pots is Terracotta . Terracotta is basically a type of clay which is heated after giving a shape . It is typically brownish or red in color.
How was pottery made in Indus valley ?
The pottery discovered during excavation were both hand made or wheel made but Most of them were wheel made pottery .The clay body of the vessels were heated in a kilns which were 2.1 m in diameter , at a controlled temperature .
When was pottery developed in the Indus valley ?
The Indus valley civilization developed around 8000 BCE or beyond, which is more ancient than the civilizations of Greece , Mesopotamia and China . So the pottery must have been developed around this period which is around 8000 BCE .