Periodization of the Indus Valley Civilization
Encyclopedia
The Indus Valley Tradition is a term used to refer to the cultures of the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra rivers, stretching from the Neolithic
Mehrgarh
period down to the Iron Age
or Indo-Gangetic Tradition.
The Indus Valley Tradition is divided into four eras, and each era can be divided into various phases. A phase is an archaeological unit possessing traits sufficiently characteristic to distinguish it from all other units similarly conceived. Each phase can be subdivided into interaction systems.
Period I belongs to this era.
, Amri
, Hakra and Kot Diji
Phases.
". It is a period of integration of various smaller cultures.
The Localization Era comprises several phases (Shaffer 1992):
The Pirak Phase is a phase of the Localization Era of both the Indus Valley Tradition and the Baluchistan Tradition.
periodized the Harappan Civilization in a chronological framework that spans the dates from 4000 BCE to 1400 BCE, taking into account new discoveries:
Another older nomenclature classifies the Indus Valley Civilization into Early, Mature and Late Harappan. According to Erdosy, the Indus Valley Tradition nomenclature "is much more informative than the traditional Early/Mature/Late Harappan classification which should now be discarded."
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
Mehrgarh
Mehrgarh
Mehrgarh , one of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology, lies on the "Kachi plain" of Balochistan, Pakistan...
period down to the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
or Indo-Gangetic Tradition.
The Indus Valley Tradition is divided into four eras, and each era can be divided into various phases. A phase is an archaeological unit possessing traits sufficiently characteristic to distinguish it from all other units similarly conceived. Each phase can be subdivided into interaction systems.
| Date range | Phase | Era |
| 7000 - 5500 BC | Mehrgarh I (aceramic Neolithic) | Early Food Producing Era |
|---|---|---|
| 5500-3300 | Mehrgarh II-VI (ceramic Neolithic) | Regionalisation Era 5500-2600 |
| 3300-2600 | Early Harappan | |
| 3300-2800 | Harappan 1 (Ravi Phase) | |
| 2800-2600 | Harappan 2 (Kot Diji Phase, Nausharo I, Mehrgarh VII) | |
| 2600-1900 | Mature Harappan (Indus Valley Civilization Indus Valley Civilization The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India... ) |
Integration Era |
| 2600-2450 | Harappan 3A (Nausharo II) | |
| 2450-2200 | Harappan 3B | |
| 2200-1900 | Harappan 3C | |
| 1900-1300 | Late Harappan (Cemetery H); Ochre Coloured Pottery Ochre Coloured Pottery culture The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture , is a 2nd millennium BC Bronze Age culture of the Indo-Gangetic Plain . It is a contemporary to, and a successor of the Indus Valley Civilization. The OCP marks the last stage of the North Indian Bronze Age and is succeeded by the Iron Age black-and-red ware and... |
Localisation Era |
| 1900-1700 | Harappan 4 | |
| 1700-1300 | Harappan 5 | |
| 1300-300 | Painted Gray Ware, Northern Black Polished Ware Northern Black Polished Ware The Northern Black Polished Ware culture of South Asia is an Iron Age culture, succeeding the Painted Grey Ware culture... (Iron Age) |
Indo-Gangetic Tradition |
Early Food Producing Era
The Early Food Producing Era corresponds to ca. 7000-5500 BCE. It is also called the Neolithic period. The economy of this era was based on food production, and agriculture developed in the Indus Valley. MehrgarhMehrgarh
Mehrgarh , one of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology, lies on the "Kachi plain" of Balochistan, Pakistan...
Period I belongs to this era.
Regionalization Era
The Regionalization Era corresponds to 5500-2600 BCE. The Early Harappan phase belongs to this Era. This era was very productive in arts, and new crafts were invented. The Regionalization Era includes the BalakotBalakot
Balakot , is a town in Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The town was destroyed during the 2005 earthquake and later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan and Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims , a Saudi relief organization...
, Amri
Amri
Amri is the site of a Pre-Harappa fortified town which flourished from 3600 to 3300 BC.The site is located south of Mohenjo Daro on Hyderabad-Dadu Road about 110 kilometres north of Hyderabad in Sindh province of Pakistan. Situated near foothills of Kirthar Range of mountains, this was an...
, Hakra and Kot Diji
Kot Diji
The ancient site at Kot Diji was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The people of this site lived about 3000 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground , and outer area...
Phases.
| 1A/B | Ravi aspect of the Hakra Phase | ca. 3300-2800 BCE |
| 2 | Early Harappan/Kot Diji Phase | ca. 2800-2600 BCE |
Integration Era
The Integration Era refers to the period of the "Indus Valley CivilizationIndus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
". It is a period of integration of various smaller cultures.
| 3A | Harappan Phase | ca. 2600-2450 BCE |
| 3B | Harappan Phase | ca. 2450-2200 BCE |
| 3C | Harappan Phase | ca. 2200-1900 BCE |
Localization Era
The Localization Era (1900-1300 BCE) is the fourth and final period of the Indus Valley Tradition. It refers to the fragmentation of the culture of the Integration Era.The Localization Era comprises several phases (Shaffer 1992):
- Punjab Phase (Cemetery H, Late Harappan). The Punjab Phase includes the Cemetery H and other cultures. Punjab Phase sites are found in Harappa and in other places.
- Jhukar Phase (Jhukar and PirakPirakPirak is an archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization located in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is 20 km south of Sibi east of the Nari River. The mound is 8m high and covers approximately . The site of Pirak was first reported by Robert Raikes in 1963...
) The Jhukar Phase refers to Mohenjo-daro and sites in Sindh. - Rangpur Phase (Late Harappan and Lustrous Red Ware). Rangpur Phase sites are in Kachchh, Saurashtra and mainland Gujarat.
The Pirak Phase is a phase of the Localization Era of both the Indus Valley Tradition and the Baluchistan Tradition.
| 4 | Harappan/Late Harappan Transitional | ca. 1900-1700 BCE |
| 5 | Late Harappan Phase (Cemetery H) | ca. 1700-1300 BCE |
Other Periodizations
S. P. GuptaS. P. Gupta
Swaraj Prakash Gupta was a well-known Indian archaeologist and art historian.From childhood Gupta was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was a scholar, writer of great repute and an authority on Indian art history. He has written scores of articles and books on the subject of his...
periodized the Harappan Civilization in a chronological framework that spans the dates from 4000 BCE to 1400 BCE, taking into account new discoveries:
| Formative Phase | e.g.,Mehrgarh-IV-V | ca. 4000-3500 BCE |
| Early Phase | e.g., Kalibangan-I | ca. 3500 - 2800 BCE |
| Period of Transition | e.g., Dholavira-III | ca. 2800 - 2600 BCE |
| Mature Phase | e.g., Harappa-III, Kalibangan-II | ca. 2600 - 1900 BCE |
| Late Phase | e.g., Cemetery H, Jhukar | ca. 1900 - 1500 BCE |
| Final Phase | e.g., Dholavira | ca. 1500 - 1400 BCE |
Another older nomenclature classifies the Indus Valley Civilization into Early, Mature and Late Harappan. According to Erdosy, the Indus Valley Tradition nomenclature "is much more informative than the traditional Early/Mature/Late Harappan classification which should now be discarded."
Further reading
- S.P. Gupta. The dawn of civilization, in G.C. Pande (ed.)(History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, ed., D.P. Chattophadhyaya, vol I Part 1) (New Delhi:Centre for Studies in Civilizations, 1999)
- Kenoyer, J.M. 1998 Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. Oxford University Press and American Institute of Pakistan Studies, Karachi.
- Kenoyer, J. M. 1991a The Indus Valley Tradition of Pakistan and Western India. In Journal of World Prehistory 5(4): 331-385.
- Kenoyer, J. M. 1995a Interaction Systems, Specialized Crafts and Culture Change: The Indus Valley Tradition and the Indo-Gangetic Tradition in South Asia. In The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity, edited by G. Erdosy, pp. 213-257. Berlin, W. DeGruyter.
- Shaffer, J. G. 1992 The Indus Valley, Baluchistan and Helmand Traditions: Neolithic Through Bronze Age. In Chronologies in Old World Archaeology (3rd Edition), edited by R. Ehrich, pp. 441-464. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.