Synopses & Reviews
When Alexander the Great invaded the Indus Valley in the fourth century BCE, he was completely unaware that it had once been the center of a civilization that could have challenged ancient Egypt and neighboring Mesopotamia in size and sophistication. In this accessible introduction, Andrew Robinson tells the storyandmdash;so far as we know itandmdash;of this enigmatic people, who lay forgotten for around 4,000 years.
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Going back to 2600 BCE, Robinson investigates a civilization that flourished over half a millennium, until 1900 BCE, when it mysteriously declined and eventually vanished. Only in the 1920s, did British and Indian archaeologists in search of Alexander stumble upon the ruins of a civilization in what is now northwest India and eastern Pakistan. Robinson surveys a network of settlementsandmdash;more than 1,000andmdash;that covered over 800,000 square kilometers. He examines the technically advanced features of some of the civilizationandrsquo;s ancient cities, such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, where archaeologists have found finely crafted gemstone jewelry, an exquisite part-pictographic writing system (still requiring decipherment), apparently Hindu symbolism, plumbing systems that would not be bettered until the Roman empire, and street planning worthy of our modern world. He also notes what is missing: any evidence of warfare, notwithstanding an adventurous maritime trade between the Indus cities and Mesopotamia via the Persian Gulf.and#160;and#160;
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A fascinating look at a tantalizingly andldquo;lostandrdquo; civilization, this book is a testament to its artistic excellence, technological progress, economic vigor, and social tolerance, not to mention the Indus legacy to modern South Asia and the wider world.and#160;
Review
"An extremely readable book accompanied by numerous illustrations, it belongs in larger public, secondary school, and college libraries as a resource and can serve well as a textbook for a course on the topic." - ARBA
Review
"Highly recommended for archaeological studies collections." - Library Journal
Review
andldquo;Robinson creates a brilliant portrait of one of the worldandrsquo;s most enigmatic early civilizations. In doing so, he crosses the boundaries between different academic disciplines with effortless panache and high learning. This succinct account of the Indus civilization, its script, religious beliefs, and its complex inheritance, places a vigorous, urban society in its rightful historical context. Everyone interested in ancient civilizations should read this eloquent, closely argued biography (it is nothing less) that brings the Indus people in from the historical shadows.andrdquo;
Synopsis
The Ancient Indus Valley: New PerspectiveS≪/i> takes readers back to a civilization as complex as its contemporaries in Mesopotamia and Egypt, one that covered a far larger region, yet lasted a much briefer time (less than a millennium) and left few visible traces.
Researchers have tentatively reconstructed a model of Indus life based on limited material remains and despite its virtually indecipherable written record. This volume describes what is known about the roots of Indus civilization in farming culture, as well as its far-flung trading network, sophisticated crafts and architecture, and surprisingly war-free way of life. Readers will get a glimpse of both a remarkable piece of the past and the extraordinary methods that have brought it back to life.
Synopsis
This work is a revealing study of the enigmatic Indus civilization and how a rich repertoire of archaeological tools is being used to probe its puzzles.
The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives takes readers back to a civilization as complex as its contemporaries in Mesopotamia and Egypt, one that covered a far larger region, yet lasted a much briefer time (less than a millennium) and left few visible traces.
Researchers have tentatively reconstructed a model of Indus life based on limited material remains and despite its virtually indecipherable written record. This volume describes what is known about the roots of Indus civilization in farming culture, as well as its far-flung trading network, sophisticated crafts and architecture, and surprisingly war-free way of life. Readers will get a glimpse of both a remarkable piece of the past and the extraordinary methods that have brought it back to life.
Synopsis
• Gives an in-depth picture of a fascinating and colorful civilization that is far less widely known than others of its time
• Gathers and analyzes important results from recent surveys and excavations in South Asia and neighboring regions
• Makes accessible to general readers a wealth of sound scholarship in one convenient volume
Synopsis
• A chronological overview that establishes the important phases of the Indus civilization and places Indus society in the historical context of the development of South Asia
• Illustrations showing speculative reconstructions of the Indus civilization's magnificent cities and photographs of artifacts from exquisite jewelry to beautiful carved seals
Synopsis
This work is a revealing study of the enigmatic Indus civilization and how a rich repertoire of archaeological tools is being used to probe its puzzles.
About the Author
Andrew Robinson is the author of many books, including
Earthquake, also published by Reaktion Books. A fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, his writing appears in publications such as the
Lancet,
Nature, and
New Scientist.and#160;