THE GROWTH OF VILLAGES: FROM BALUCHISTAN TO HARYANA AND GUJARAT
An Archaeological History of India
Chapter – 4
Table of Contents
- A shift in geographical focus occurs in Indian archaeology, moving away from early mesolithic hunter-gathererswho had domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats and acquired knowledge of plant food processing, including wild seeds.
- The focus now shifts to the growth of distinctly agricultural communities between Baluchistan and Bannu on one side, and areas near Delhi and Gujarat on the other.
- This period spans about 4000 years, from c. 7000 BC to c. 3000 BC.
- Major transformations take place west of the Delhi–Aravalli–Cambay axis, setting the stage for the Indus civilization.
- The roots of the Indus civilization lie in this specific segment of Indian geography.
- The chapter will follow the development of these agricultural communities, tracing their transformation into the Indus civilization, studying it up to its decline, and examining its merger with the broader archaeological story of the rest of the Indian subcontinent.