Lamassu, Palace of Sargon II

Indus Valley

Periods covered: Mohenjo-Daro, Harrappa

The Indus Valley civilization emerged during the second half of the third millennium BCE. The two major sites, Harrappa and MohenjoDaro, occupy modern day northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India.

Little is known of the civilization due to the lack of temples or palaces and the yet-to-be deciphered script. This leads to a heavy reliance on the forms of art to help gain a wider understanding of the civilization’s beliefs and forms of governance.

Forms of art found from various sites include sculpture, pottery, jewelry, terracotta figures, and a large abundance of small seals. Seals remain as the most commonly discovered artifact primarily in Harrappa, where depictions of animals and mythological beings were of typical nature.

As for materials, most artifacts are of stone, bronze, terracotta or clay. Indus Valley themes include animals or mythological beings, with the most frequent being the unicorn.

Polychrome Pottery

Date: 3000-2800 BC Period: Early Harappan

This vessel was most likely used for storage purposes as was much of the pottery found throughout Harappa. This piece shows the technique of polychrome in ceramics, where black forms the exterior decoration.

Dancing Girl

Date: 2300-1750 BC Period: Mohenjo-Daro

The Dancing Girl figurine is made of bronze, using the lost-wax casting technique. The statue led archaeologists to discover the civilization’s understanding of sophisticated metallic methods and that entertainment, especially dance, was an essential part of their culture.