Bricks Beads and Bones

Subsistence Strategies

The Harappans ate a wide range of plant and animal products, including wheat, barley, lentils, chickpea, and sesame. Animal bones found at sites indicate they domesticated cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo, and pig, while the finds of fish and bird bones show reliance on gathering.

Agricultural Technologies

Terracotta models of plows have been found at sites in Cholistan and Banawali, and evidence of a ploughed field at Kalibangan shows fields had two sets of furrows intersecting at right angles, suggesting two different crops were grown together.

Town Planning and Drainage System

Harappan cities were divided into two parts: the smaller higher citadel and the larger lower town. Streets were laid out in a grid pattern with an intricate, covered drainage system that connected every house to the street drains.

Craft Production in Chanhudaro

Chanhudaro was a tiny settlement dedicated exclusively to craft production, including bead-making out of stones like carnelian, jasper, crystal, quartz, and steatite, as well as metal working, shell cutting, and seal making.

Problems of Integrating Archaeological Evidence

Archaeologists reconstruct religious beliefs and social structures through artifacts like terracotta figurines, mother goddesses, and proto-Shiva seals, though interpreting these symbols is often speculative and subject to debate.