After many decades of scientific research and excavations, the Indus Valley Civilization still represents something of an enigma: an ancient civilization with a writing system that nevertheless awaits convincing decipherment,...
After many decades of scientific research and excavations, the Indus Valley Civilization still represents something of an enigma: an ancient civilization with a writing system that nevertheless awaits convincing decipherment, a number of monumental architectural constructions whose function still eludes us, no visible trace of any monumental art, a rather puzzling decline and little evidence of the identity of its direct descendants. In a civilization extending over an area that vast, one normally expects to come across monumental art and or architectural symbols of power displaying the names of the powerful. Instead, one encounters an emphasis on small, elegant art and sophisticated craft technology. In this so-called "faceless civilization," three-dimensional representations of living beings in the Harappan world are confined to a few stone and bronze statues and some small objects crafted in faience, stone and other materials - with one important exception. Ranging in size from slightly larger than a human thumb to almost 30 cm. in height, the anthropomorphic and animal terracotta figurines from Harappa and other Indus Civilization sites offer a rich reflection of some of the Harappan ideas about representing life in the Bronze Age. Figurines of women are perhaps the most plentiful of the figurines in Indus Valley. The reason for this is unknown, but it proposed that women were given a special place culturally in society, due to their ability to produce offspring. Indeed, studies of burial sites at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa have shown that a man was often buried with his wife’s family. The female figurines are easily distinguished by a curving, pear-shaped body with large protruding breasts. The effect of these female figurines is two-fold: it emphasizes the beauty and sexual nature of the female; but at the same time, cherishes the nurturing, motherly nature of the female. The figurines of the women tend to also be heavily ornamented. It is, therefore, easier to learn about some aspects of culture in the Indus Valley through such female figurines. The production of such terracotta figurines has a long documented history in the area, prior to the Indus Valley period. Examples from sites in Baluchistan (Mehrgarth) and the North West Frontier Province (Sheri Khan Tarakai) date to the fifth and fourth millennium BC. The type, schematic and not perceptibly realistic, with large, semi-closed eys, the pubic triangle and the legs barely accentuated, small clearly shown breasts, the head adorned by large flowers and hands outstretched is handmade and solid, with a polished, smooth surface.