The+Placement+of+Women+in+the+Indus+Valley

 //**Women in the Mature Harappan Period of the Indus Valley Civilization **// Shainna Ali = =  Although the Indus Valley Civilization has a writing system that has not yet been deciphered, there is still much to say and interpret about culture and life in the Mature Harappan Period of this complex society (Lawler 2004). Rather than through monumental art, or other large scale type of expressions that tend to answer questions to early complex societies cross-culturally, we see an emphasis on small and sophisticated craft technology. Topping thirty centimeters at most, these terracotta figurines are either anthropomorphic or animal inspired. We can use these realistic objects to gain insight into the Harappan mindset and lifestyle. In this paper, I will attempt to use these figurines to puzzle together a microcosm of the Indus Valley and to furthermore understand Harappan culture and life from 2600-1900 B.C (Carr 2005). Specifically, I will use these figurines to support the theory that women in the Indus Valley were regarded as high class and were treated as the object of religious worship.


 * Early Anthropomorphic Figurines** [[image:Figure_1.jpg width="218" height="195" align="left"]]

The earliest of the infamous terracotta figurines date to the Early Harappan; the era directly preceding the Mature Harappan Period (Agrawal 1964; Tarini 2005). During this time, we begin to see articulated images of women with emphasized feminine characteristics including enlarged buttocks and thighs (Figure 1). The legs of these figurines are seen close and frontward. Early female figurines also show women in textured dresses, distinct hairstyles and are seen holding pottery. An important early feature is adornment seen in the form of necklaces, pendants and bangles. All of these features will be seen time and time again in the highlighting of women in the Indus Valley civilization. Their increase in prevalence with time subtitles the growing importance of women within the realm of religion throughout the Mature Harappan Period (Kenoyer 1995).

Many early civilizations worldwide have a lack of emphasis on women in their early art. In Monte Alban, the famous depictions of the //Danzantes// showed particular emphasis on the male sex just as the infamous Narmer palette did in Predynastic Egypt (Monte Alban 2008; Rosalie 2003:75-76). However, in Harappan society there is a prevalence of the female sex found in early figurines (Kenoyer 1995). The existence of female figurines alone depicts the significance of women in society as it equates to the fact that they were not ignored. Furthermore, the manner in which these female figurines are adorned give us insight to the elevated status women held in Mature Harappan society.
 * Adornment: A sign of caste and religious distinction for females in the Mature Harappan Era**

//Headdresses//

At the peak of the Harappan civilization, female figurines were depicted with various forms of ornamentation such as terracotta cones or twisted ropes that may have represented hair. It has been suggested that these fancy headdresses were worn as a symbol of distinction; if so, these figurines may give insight to a possible high class and possibly religious status for women.



Some of these headdresses have remnants of black resin that may indicate that oil or incense was burned in them. Is it possible that these figurines were used for holders of these products? Yes, this is possible; however, it is important to recognize and that incense was associated with various early cultures in the form of religion and even such traditions even live on today in world religions (Kenoyer 1997).

Incense has been correlated to Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Taoism and various other world religions. In the case of Harappan Civilization, it is important to denote the use of incense in Hinduism as this religion arose in the same area of the world after the Harappan Civilization. In Hinduism, incense is used in various //pujas// (ritual prayers) as an offering to the deities (Chapple 2008). It is also important to note that some incense holders in Hinduism take the form of Hindu Gods or Goddesses. It is possible that this form of worship in Hinduism is derived from Mature Harappan religion practices in which incense or oils were burned in female figurines. It is therefore possible that Mature Harappan religion either considered females important in the realm of religion or worshiped female deities.   //Flowers//

Several of the female figurines at Harappa are embellished with flowers. Even today in India and Pakistan, women can be found adorning their hair with strands of beautiful, aromatic flowers; however, the depiction seen in Harappan figurines seem to display a larger and more prominent use of flowers (Kenoyer 1995). When taking this into consideration, the flowers in these particular figurines may represent a high class of women.



Many scholars have suggested that the Indus Valley Civilization has left its remnants in Hinduism. Utilizing this theory, the depiction of flowers can signify religion (Cork 2004). The Hindu ritual //pushpanjali// involves the use of flowers in offering and prayer to the Hindu Gods. Other than simply denoting religious women in the Indus Valley, the figurines could also be symbols of a mother goddess. In Hinduism, Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, power, luxury, fertility, and more important to our case, she is the goddess of the earth. Although she is never depicted wearing flowers as in the Harappan figurines, she is commonly depicted holding a lotus flower in each of her four hands and either standing or sitting in a large lotus flower as well. It is possibly that Lakshmi represents the evolution in thought of the Indus Valley concept of an earth goddess.   //Crowns// Some of the fan headdress figurines also have a tiara-like ornamentation attached in addition (Kenoyer 1995). Crowns have been used as a symbol for royalty in various cultures both in antiquity and today. For example, we have evidence for multiple royal crowns in Ancient Egypt such as the Hedjet, Deshret, and Khepresh. If the purpose for crowns in the Indus Valley was similar to that of Ancient Egypt, then the idols of females wearing crowns can be evidence for high class, royal or leadership status in women in the Indus Valley (Cork 2004). In addition to being used to as a tool for a leader’s legitimacy, crowns have also been known to affiliate an individual with spiritual or religious significance. For example, Jesus Christ is associated with a crown of thorns, especially around the time of his crucifixion. If the Harappan society’s use for crowns was similar to this purpose, it is possible that the presence of crowns on female idols illustrates their high religious rank and the possibility that they were revered members of society.

In Hinduism, female deities are often depicted with crowns as well. Since Hinduism arises after the Mature Harappan era, it is possible that the figurines found during this time were precursors to what would become of Hindu Goddesses. When applying this theory, Harappan figurines it is probably that Harappan figurines do not represent a single person, but instead a divine entity of worship.

//Jewelry//  In complex societies across cultures, jewelry found in the archaeological record is used to interpret heterogeneity and furthermore, the high status of those individuals adorned. Depictions on many Harappan figurines show elaborate jewelry including chokers, necklaces, pendants, bangles, and gold cones (Kenoyer 1995). Jewelry in societies has not always been specific to the upper status or religious officials; however, the extensive use of jewelry on these Mature Harappan figurines cannot be overlooked.

Once again, this elaborate ornamentation is seen in past the Indus Valley Civilization and into Hinduism. Depictions of Hindu Goddesses are seen with elaborate jewelry similar to that found hundreds of years earlier on Harappan figurines. Common depictions in both Harappan figurines and Hindu Goddesses are seen with a choker and several layers of necklaces underneath. The particular stylization of chokers and necklaces helps to draw a clear linkage between either Indus Valley women and what would become Hindu Goddesses or a possible early feminine divinity that would eventually morph into the goddess concept in Hinduism.

Although many elaborate figurines from the Mature Harappan Period are of women, figurines from this era have also depicted males, animals and actions of daily life such as a cart being drawn by possible water buffalo (Kenoyer 1995). When taking this into consideration, it is possible that these figurines reflected the Indus Valley Civilization at the time. Through this perspective, the adorations mentioned were utilized by living women within the society. Since these forms of embellishment are not seen on male figurines, they support the argument that within the Mature Period of the Indus Valley Civilization, at least some women held high status roles and were revered as the center of religious worship.
 * Mature Harappan Figurines as Depictions of High Class Women**[[image:males.jpg width="290" height="310" align="right"]]

Since Mature Harappan figurines home humanistic traits, many are quick to assume that these figurines represent humans this time period. It is possible that these figurines represented divinities in the Indus Valley Civilization. The analogies present between these figurines and the adornment seen in Hindu Goddesses is too profound to be ignored, specifically because Hinduism arose in this geographic area following the Indus Valley Civilization (Tarini 2005).  This video provides further insight to other similarities that exist between the Indus Valley Civilization and Hinduism; furthering the support for the linkage between female figurines and religion. If the video does not appear below, please visit []. media type="youtube" key="wdCE-290uuw" height="413" width="624" Many scholars agree that the female figurines from the Mature Harappan Period are either representations of high class, religious women or as divinities. Unfortunately, the writing of the Indus Valley Civilization has not been deciphered to give us insight as to which of these theories is correct (Lawler 2004; Shendge 1985). Using pure archaeological evidence, it is important to understand that both of these theories can be accepted as the archaeological evidence shows a possible overlap. As seen in figure 1, earlier figurines of women were simplistic in nature. At this time, figurines may have represented females in the current society. As time progressed into the Mature Harappan, ornamentation increases with the rise of the civilization and possibly with the increase in heterogeneity causing a creation of a high class with access to magic, power or overall religious divinities. By the end of the Mature Harappan Period, where female figurines are distinctly adorned, this may represent a rise in religious beliefs in a Mother Goddess. Such beliefs may have influenced the development of Hinduism and it’s concept of goddesses as well. Therefore, in the Mature Period of the Indus Valley Civilization, female figurines depicted the history of this era by documenting an increase in heterogeneity and religious beliefs through the adornment and overall representation of women (Dhyansky 1987:89).
 * Mature Harappan Figurines as Depictions of Goddesses**
 * Mature Harappan Figurines as Depictions of High Class Women and Goddesses**

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