The Social Lives of Figurines: Recontextualizing the Third-Millennium-BC Terracotta Figurines from Harappa (Papers of the Peabody Museum)

Synopsis

After More Than 80 Years Of International Research On The Indus Civilization, This Geographically Extensive Ancient Society Remains Deeply Enigmatic. With No Known Monumental Art Or Deciphered Texts, The Largest Category Of Representational Art Recovered From Many Indus Sites Is Terracotta Figurines. In This Detailed Research Report, Archaeologist Sharri R. Clark Examines And Recontextualizes A Rich And Diverse Corpus Of Hundreds Of Figurines From The Urban Site Of Harappa (ca. 3300-1700 Bc) To Reveal New Information About Indus Ideology And Society. The Hand-modeled Figurines--including Anthropomorphic And Zoomorphic Figures, Fantastic Creatures Such As Unicorns, And Special Forms With Wheels Or Movable Parts--served As A Medium Of Communication And Exchange That Reflects Underlying Structures Of Indus Society And Cultural Change. The Author Focuses On The Figurines As Artifacts Whose Social Lives Can Be At Least Partially Reconstructed Through Systematic Analysis Of Stylistic And Technological Attributes And Spatial And Temporal Contexts. Comparisons With Ethnographic Data, Historic Texts, And Contemporaneous Ancient Societies Enrich And Inform The Groundbreaking Interpretations. Lavishly Illustrated, The Volume Includes An Extensive Database On Disk.-- 1. Introduction. 1.a. The Harappan Terracotta Figurines ; 1.b. The Social Lives Of Figurines ; 1.c. A Brief History Of The Indus Civilization ; 1.d. Figurines And Archaeological Interpretation ; 1.e. The Study Of The Harappan Terracotta Figurines In The Context Of Figurine Studies In South Asia And Around The World -- 2. Materials And Methodology. 2.a. Theoretical Considerations ; 2.b. Data Collection Strategy -- 3. Manufacturing Meaning. 3.a. Re-constructing The Terracotta Figurines ; 3.b. The Implications Of Clay As A Medium ; 3.c. Hand Modeling Versus Molding And Mass Production ; 3.d. Types Of Figurine Forms And Production Estimates From Harappa ; 3.e. Radiographic And Other Analyses Related To Construction ; 3.f. Analysis Of Pigments From Harappa ; 3.g. Who Made The Indus Terracotta Figurines From Harappa? ; 3.h. Interpreting The Construction Of The Terracotta Figurines From Harappa --^ 4. Embodying Indus Life : Social Difference And Daily Life At Harappa. 4.a. Embodying Indus Life In The Anthropomorphic Figurines From Harappa ; 4.b. Embodying Indus Life In The Zoomorphic Figurines From Harappa ; 4.c. Embodying Indus Life : Depicting Difference And Society At Harappa -- 5. A Provisional Chronological Typology For Figurines From Harappa. 5.a. Introduction For The Provisional Chronological Typology ; 5.b. Period 1 (ravi Phase, Ca. 3300-2800 Bc) Figurines From Harappa ; 5.c. Period 2 (kot Diji Phase, Ca. 2800-2600 Bc) Figurines From Harappa ; 5.d. Period 3 (harappa Phase, Ca. 2600-1900 Bc) Figurines From Harappa ; 5.e. Periods 4/5 (transitional/late Harappa Phase, Ca. 1900-1300 Bc) Figurines From Harappa ; 5.f. Post-indus (ca. 1300-300 Bc) And Historic (ca. <300 Bc) Figurines From Harappa ; 5.g. Chronological Trends And Connections --^ 6. The Figurines And Religion In The Indus Civilization : The View From Harappa. 6.a. Cultic Interpretation In Archaeology ; 6.b. The Indus Civilization As A Source Of Later Religious Traditions ; 6.c. In Search Of The Mother Goddess ; 6.d. Other Hindu Analogies ; 6.e. The Figurines And Cult, Magic, And Shamanism At Harappa -- 7. Concluding Remarks. 7.a. Significance And Contributions Of This Research ; 7.b. The Indus Veneer And Indigenous Regional Traditions ; 7.c. Directions For Future Research. Appendices (on Enclosed Disc). A. Attributes Of Functional Classes And Associated Predicted Patterns Of Wear, Damage, And Disposition Based On Ethnographic And Ethnohistorical Sources For Figures And Figurines ; B. Preliminary Catalog Of Figurines From Harappa (by Storage Location) ; C. Iconographic Database Layout For Attribute Analysis ; D. Terracotta Figurine Ritual Additive Chromatography Experiment ; E. Anayltical Report: Ft-ir And Gas Chromatography Analyses Of Pigment Samples From Harappa Terracotta Figurines ; F. Provisional Chronological Typology For The Terracotta Figurines From Harappa. Sharri R. Clark. Originally Presented As The Author's Thesis (ph. D.)--harvard University, 2007. Optical Disc (cd-rom) In Pocket Contains Pdfs Of Appendices A-f. Includes Bibliographical References.