My Malice and Bias

Indus Valley Seals - Unicorn or Holy Cow? Unicorn Seal from Harrapa, Punjab I have been fascinated by the Indus Valley civilization ever since I studied the subject in my junior high school in India.  One of the unique identifier for the Indus Valley is the so called "Unicorn Seals". A number of variations of this seal has been found across various Indus Valley sites. But most of the characteristics are the same.  The seal from Mohenjo-daro measures 29 mm (1.14) inches on each side and is made of fired steatite. Steatite is an easily carved soft stone that becomes hard after firing. On the top are "pictographs" of an as yet undeciphered Indus script, one of the very first writing systems in history. Below is the well-known unicorn figure of Indus Valley culture. Whether it designates a real or mythical animal is also disputed. Beneath it is a "sacred object," which could have been anything from a tree, religious banner, an animal's trough, an

Artist Visualization of Indus Valley Port The people of Indus Valley have practiced the act of survival as an art. Its obvious that these people were merchants and traders by profession and not a militarized colony under a sovereign. In my opinion, most researchers have  failed to study the evolution of this business community in that region over last 5000 years.  Merchants of Indus Valley - artist visualization The Harrappan people of Indus Valley were engaged in trade with China, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Near East.  The Indus cities were connected with rural agricultural communities and distant resource and mining areas through strong trade systems. They used river boats and bullock carts for transport. This trade is reflected in the widespread distribution of exquisite beads and ornaments , metal tools and pottery that were produced by specialized artisans in the major towns and cities. Jewelry from Indus Valley Cotton, lumber, grain, livestock and other food stu