Connections and complexity : new approaches to the archaeology of South Asia

431 Pages·2013·12.68 MB·English

by  Shinu Anna Abraham & Praveena Gullapalli & Teresa P Raczek & Uzma Z Rizvi

CONNECTIONS AND
COMPLEXITY
New Approaches to the Archaeology
of South Asia
For Dr. P.
CONNECTIONS AND
COMPLEXITY
New Approaches to the Archaeology
of South Asia
Edited by
Shinu Anna Abraham
Praveena Gullapalli
Teresa P. Raczek
Uzma Z. Rizvi
Walnut Creek, California
LEFT COAST PRESS, INC.
1630 North Main Street, #400
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
http://www.LCoastPress.com
Copyright © 2013 by Left Coast Press, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
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ISBN 978-1-59874-686-0 hardback
ISBN 978-1-59874-688-4 institutional eBook
ISBN 978-1-61132-682-6 consumer eBook
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Connections and complexity: new approaches to the archaeology of South Asia /
edited by Shinu Abraham, Praveena Gullapalli, Teresa P. Raczek, Uzma Z. Rizvi.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-59874-686-0 (hardback : alkaline paper) — ISBN (invalid)
978-1-59874-688-4 (institutional eBook) — ISBN (invalid) 978-1-61132-682-6
(consumer eBook)
1. South Asia—Antiquities. 2. India—Antiquities. 3. Social archaeology—South
Asia. 4. Landscape archaeology— South Asia 5. Indus civilization. 6. Iron age—India.
7. Material culture—South Asia—History—To 1500. 8. Material culture—India—
History—To 1500. 9. Regionalism—South Asia—History—To 1500. I. Abraham, Shinu.
DS338.C66 2012
934—dc23
2012028631
Printed in the United States of America
∞ ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992.
Contents
List of Illustrations 7
Preface 13
1. Connections and Complexity: New Approaches to the
Archaeology of South Asia
Shinu Anna Abraham, Praveena Gullapalli, Teresa P. Raczek,
and Uzma Z. Rizvi 15
2. To What Extent Were Prehistoric Sri Lankans Isolated from the
Indian Mainland? Biotic and Archaeological Considerations
Kenneth A. R. Kennedy 35
3. Commodities and Things: The Kulli in Context
Rita P. Wright 47
4. New Evidence for Interaction between the Iranian Plateau and
the Indus Valley: Seals and Sealings from Konar Sandal South
Holly Pittman 63
5. The Sindh Archaeological Project: Explorations in the
Lower Indus Basin and Western Sindh
Louis Flam 91
6. Iconography of the Indus Unicorn: Origins and Legacy
Jonathan Mark Kenoyer 107
7. Forest Products in a Wider World: Early Historic
Connections across Southern India
Kathleen D. Morrison and Mark T. Lycett 127
8. The Substance and Symbolism of Long-distance Exchange:
Textiles as Desired Trade Goods in the Bronze Age Middle
Asian Interaction Sphere
Monica L. Smith 143
9. Weighty Matters: Evidence for Unity and Regional Diversity
from the Indus Civilization Weights
Heather M. -L Miller 161
10. Starch Grain Analysis and Experiments Provide Insights
into Harappan Cooking Practices
Arunima Kashyap and Steve Weber 177
11. Red Polished Ware in Gujarat: Surface Collections from
Inland Sites
Nancy Pinto-Orton 195
12. Spiraling Interconnectedness: A Fresh Look at
Double-spiral-headed Pins in the Indian Subcontinent
Heidi J. Miller 223
13. In Search of Craft and Society: The Glass Beads of
Early Historic Tamil South India
Shinu Anna Abraham 239
14. Lamination as Production Technique: Patterns
and Possibilities
Praveena Gullapalli 263
15. Bronze Age Pastoralism and Differentiated Landscapes
along the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor
Michael Frachetti 279
16. The Ghost of the State in Deep Antiquity: A Closer Look
at the Harappan Civilization from the Viewpoint of
Sanskrit Literature
Piotr A. Eltsov 299
17. Crafting Communities and Producing Places: Copper,
Settlement Patterns, and Social Identity in the Ganeshwar
Jodhpura Cultural Complex, Rajasthan, India
Uzma Z. Rizvi 315
18. Technology and Everyday Crafts: Identifying Traces of
Shared Histories in the Archaeological Record
Teresa P. Raczek 341
19. Regional Diversity in the Harappan World: The Evidence
of the Seals
Marta Ameri 355
20. Monumentality and the Third-millennium “Towers”
of the Oman Peninsula
Charlotte Marie Cable and Christopher P. Thornton 375
21. Small-scale Interactions across the North Gujarat Plain
Suzanne Harris 401
Index 421
About the Authors 425
Illustrations
Tables
Table 3.1 Chronology for the Indo-Iranian Borderlands 49
Table 3.2 Chronology for the Indus Civilization 55
Table. 6.1 Overall Chronology of the Indus Tradition 109
Table 9.1 Methods of Calculating Indus Weight Values
by A. S. Hemmy 165
Table 9.2 Indus Weight Shapes 167
Table 9.3 Possible Base 7 Weight System at Lothal and
Harappa 171
Table 10.1 P lants Identified from Starch Grain Analysis of
Ceramic Vessels from Farmana 180
Table 10.2 Plant Species Studied for Experimental Research 181
Table 10.3 Description of Raw Starches from the Plants 182
Table 11.1 RPW Forms by Site 204
Table 13.1 S ites Reporting Glass Beads in Tamil, South India
(Kerala and Tamil Nadu) 248
Table 13.2 S ites Reporting Glass Beads in Deccan, South
India (Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) 251
Table 13.3 Sites Reporting Glass Beads in Sri Lanka 254
Table 19.1 D istribution of Iconographic Elements in the
Glyptic of Sites Discussed in the Text 361
Table 20.1 T able of Known Third-millennium BC Towers
on the Oman Peninsula 386
Table 21.1 Comparison of Ceramics 405
Table 21.2 Comparison of Features and Materials from Sites 406
Table 21.3 L ist of Radiocarbon Dates from Sites
Discussed in the Text 407
Table 21.4 Comparison of Bead Materials 411
Figures
Figure 2.1 Major Mesolithic Sites in Sri Lanka and Southern India 36
Figure 2.2 T he Palk Strait and Adam’s Bridge, Sri Lanka,
and Southern India (Tamil Nadu) 38
Figure 2.3 M ajor Mesolithic Sites in Sri Lanka 40
Figure 2.4 A dult Male Cranium from Bellanbandi Palassa,
Sri Lanka 42
Figure 3.1 Sites Discussed in the Text 48
Figure 4.1 Bronze Stamp Seal, Obverse 68
Figure 4.2 Bronze Stamp Seal, Obverse from Lothal 68
Figure 4.3a Terracotta Stamp Seal, Obverse 69
Figure 4.3b Terracotta Stamp Seal Profile 69
Figure 4.4 Terracotta Stamp Seal from Gilund 70
Figure 4.5 Alabaster Stamp Seal, Obverse 71
Figure 4.6 Bezel of Stone Stamp Seal from Harappa 72
Figure 4.7a White Stone Stamp Seal, Reverse 73
Figure 4.7b Modern Impression of White Stone Stamp Seal 73
Figure 4.8a Reverse of White Stone Stamp Seal 74
Figure 4.8b M odern Impression of Carving on Bezel of
White Stone Stamp Seal 74
Figure 4.9 Drawing of White Stone Stamp Seal 75
Figure 4.10 C opper/Bronze Lid with Répousse Images of
Tête Bêche Gazelles 76
Figure 4.11a Back of Stamp Seal in Lapis Lazuli 76
Figure 4.11b Carved Bezel of Stamp Seal in Lapis Lazuli 76
Figure 4.12a White Stone Cylinder Seal 77
Figure 4.12b Modern Impression of White Stone Cylinder Seal 78
Figure 4.12c D rawing from Photo of Impression of
White Stone Cylinder Seal 78
Figure 4.13 W hite Stone Cylinder Seal and Modern
Impression 79
Figure 4.14 W hite Stone Cylinder Seal and Modern
Impression 79
Figure 4.15 White Stone Cylinder Seal and Impression 80
Figure 4.16 White Stone Cylinder Seal and Impression 80
Figure 4.17 W hite Stone Stamp Seal and Impression of
Carving on Bezel 80
Figure 4.18a–d White Stone Cylinder Seal from Margiana 81
Figure 4.18e Drawing of Image on White Stone Cylinder Seal 82
Figure 4.19a Fragmentary Ancient Impression of Stamp Seal 83
Figure 4.19b D rawing of Impression of Fragment of
Stamp Seal Impressed on Mud Mass 83
Figure 4.20 Stone Stamp Seal. Shahr-i Sokhta, Period II 83
Figure 4.21 Fragment of Ancient Impression of Cylinder Seal 84
Figure 4.22 F ragmentary Ancient Impression of
Stamp? Seal 85
Figure 4.23 Dilmun Type Stamp Seal from Failaka. Side 2 85
Figure 5.1 Paleogeography of Sindh 95
Figure 5.2 Sindh Kohistan 99
Figure 5.3 Kirthar Mountains and Piedmont 102
Figure 6.1 Harappan Unicorn Seal 108
Figure 6.2 Unicorn Seal, Detail of Head 114
Figure 6.3 Unicorn Pendant, Mohenjo-daro 115
Figure 6.4 Bull, Bhuj, Gujarat 116
Figure 6.5 Bull Seal, Mohenjo-daro 116
Figure 6.6 Rhinoceros seal, Mohenjo-daro 117
Figure 6.7 Unicorn Figurines from Chanhu-daro 119
Figure 6.8 Ganweriwala Unicorn Figurines 120
Figure 6.9 Unicorn Ideology 121
Figure 8.1 Sites and Regions Discussed in the Text 149
Figure 10.1 Harappan Site of Farmana 179
Figure 10.2a S tarches from Modern Reference Samples:
Solanum melongena (Eggplant) 183
Figure 10.2b S tarch from Modern Reference Samples:
Mangifera indica (Mango) 183
Figure 10.2c S tarch from Modern Reference Samples:
Zingiber officianale (Ginger) 183
Figure 10.2d S tarch from Modern Reference Samples:
Curcuma longa (Turmeric) 183
Figure 10.3a S tarches after Five Minutes of Boiling: Solanum
melongena (Eggplant) pulp starc 184
Figure 10.3b S tarches after Five Minutes of Boiling:
Mangifera indica (Mango) 184
Figure 10.3c S tarches after Five Minutes of Boiling:
Zingiber officianale (Ginger) 184
Figure 10.3d S tarches after Five Minutes of Boiling: Curcuma
longa (Turmeric) 184
Figure 10.4a S tarches after 20 Minutes of Boiling: Solanum
melongena (Eggplant) pulp starch 186