Arts and Amusement
- The terracotta figurines, the paintings on the pottery, and the bronze images from the Harappan sites suggest the artistic nature of the Harappans.
- “Priest king” of steatite, dancing girl of copper (both from Mohenjo-Daro), and stone sculptures from Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Dholavira are the important objects of art.
- Toy carts, rattles, wheels, tops, marbles and hop scotches exhibit the amusement of the Harappan people.
Faith and Belief System
- The Indus people worshipped nature.
- They worshipped the pipal tree.
- Some of the terracotta figures appear to be mother goddess.
- Fire altars have been identified at Kalibangan.
- They buried the dead.
- Burials were made elaborately and evidence of cremation is also reported.
- The Harappan burials have pottery, ornaments, jewellery, copper mirrors and beads.
- These suggest their belief in an after life.
Polity
- Uniformity in pottery, seals, weights and bricks reveals the existence of a polity.
- Labour mobilisation may also suggest the existence of a political system.
- Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro might have had a city-state like polity.
- The uniformity in the cultural materials and measurement units point to a central authority during the Harappan times.
Authorship and the Making of Indian Culture
- One school of thought argues that the authors of Harappan Civilisation were speakers of the Dravidian languages.
- The archaeological evidence shows movement of the Harappans to the east and the south after the decline of their civilisation.
- Some of the Harappan people could have moved into different parts of India.
- However, only the decipherment of the script would give us a definite answer.