Blog on Chapter 2 Documents
1. Using art as evidence: What can we learn about Indus Valley civilization from these visual sources? How does our level of understanding of this civilization differ from that of Egypt and Mesopotamia, where plentiful written records are available?
The visual sources are "limited" for archaeologists and historians when studying the Indus Valley civilization (Strayer, 91). However, it is possible to draw information and make inferences from the artifacts that are available. On page 92, an official seal from the Indus Valley is shown in the photograph. It features an animal as well as Indus Valley script. One inference that can be drawn from the use of seals is that the Indus people took pride in their culture. Landowners, merchants, and clan heads could utilize the seal to ensure that others knew the origin of their products, or so that no one would try and steal their possessions. In the slightest way one could argue they were patriotic, but in this context they were merely a civilization, so it is more probable to say they were a people who took great pride in their valley. The seal can also reveal that the Indus people connected to nature, because they use animals to showcase their identity on their own seal. They probably related to the animals or even shared some characteristics of animals, or valued the strength of these organisms, and this is what they chose to display to represent who they were and what they stood for.
On page 93, a seven inch statue of a man from Mohenjo Daro is shown in the photograph. The text explains that since there is not much evidence of how the Indus people politically and socially organized their civilization, it can be concluded that a group of elite men served to lead the civilization, and the statue depicts one of those men. From this art, it can be concluded that the Indus people did not so much separate the rich from the poor or the powerless from the powerful. The man portrayed by the statue appears to be ordinary: he has a beard, his clothes are not covered in jewels and gold, he is wearing a simple headpiece, not a large and high crown, and he is not holding any large sticks or props that would make him look dictatorial, he is just portrayed as a normal human being. The Indus most likely did not make achieving status or wealth a priority, and the people of this civilization had no trouble with expressing their true selves. Indeed, there may have been a little bit of class distinction, but the "leaders" were not so distanced from commoners.
Our level of understanding differs from that of Egypt and Mesopotamia evidently because of the limited artifacts and sources available from the Indus Valley. In the case of studying the Indus Valley civilization, a lot of questions about politics, social order, language, and culture are left for our interpretation, which in turn creates a more interesting foundation for the study because many opinions can be considered and brought to the table. It's difficult to know so much about the Indus Valley civilization because of this limit. We do not have a complete picture of this civilization as we did in the case of studying Egypt and Mesopotamia, so it is more challenging to make comparisons. However, artifacts alone can be so powerful in examining history because they are materials of the exact time period. Artifacts, especially in the form of art, are inspired by the environment and can reflect the social climate.
Strayer, Robert. "Working With Evidence: Indus Valley Civilization." In Ways of the World. ed. Bedford/St. Martin's. 91- 95.
The visual sources are "limited" for archaeologists and historians when studying the Indus Valley civilization (Strayer, 91). However, it is possible to draw information and make inferences from the artifacts that are available. On page 92, an official seal from the Indus Valley is shown in the photograph. It features an animal as well as Indus Valley script. One inference that can be drawn from the use of seals is that the Indus people took pride in their culture. Landowners, merchants, and clan heads could utilize the seal to ensure that others knew the origin of their products, or so that no one would try and steal their possessions. In the slightest way one could argue they were patriotic, but in this context they were merely a civilization, so it is more probable to say they were a people who took great pride in their valley. The seal can also reveal that the Indus people connected to nature, because they use animals to showcase their identity on their own seal. They probably related to the animals or even shared some characteristics of animals, or valued the strength of these organisms, and this is what they chose to display to represent who they were and what they stood for.
On page 93, a seven inch statue of a man from Mohenjo Daro is shown in the photograph. The text explains that since there is not much evidence of how the Indus people politically and socially organized their civilization, it can be concluded that a group of elite men served to lead the civilization, and the statue depicts one of those men. From this art, it can be concluded that the Indus people did not so much separate the rich from the poor or the powerless from the powerful. The man portrayed by the statue appears to be ordinary: he has a beard, his clothes are not covered in jewels and gold, he is wearing a simple headpiece, not a large and high crown, and he is not holding any large sticks or props that would make him look dictatorial, he is just portrayed as a normal human being. The Indus most likely did not make achieving status or wealth a priority, and the people of this civilization had no trouble with expressing their true selves. Indeed, there may have been a little bit of class distinction, but the "leaders" were not so distanced from commoners.
Our level of understanding differs from that of Egypt and Mesopotamia evidently because of the limited artifacts and sources available from the Indus Valley. In the case of studying the Indus Valley civilization, a lot of questions about politics, social order, language, and culture are left for our interpretation, which in turn creates a more interesting foundation for the study because many opinions can be considered and brought to the table. It's difficult to know so much about the Indus Valley civilization because of this limit. We do not have a complete picture of this civilization as we did in the case of studying Egypt and Mesopotamia, so it is more challenging to make comparisons. However, artifacts alone can be so powerful in examining history because they are materials of the exact time period. Artifacts, especially in the form of art, are inspired by the environment and can reflect the social climate.
Strayer, Robert. "Working With Evidence: Indus Valley Civilization." In Ways of the World. ed. Bedford/St. Martin's. 91- 95.
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