Archaeology & Prehistory
Indus seals
c. 2600-1900 BCEIndus Valley CivilisationSteatite sealsIndus region (India/Pakistan)
2,600 BCE
Finely carved stamp seals bearing animals (the 'unicorn'), motifs and short inscriptions, used in trade/administration.
- Dated
- 2,600–1,900 BCE
- As scholars put it
- c. 2600-1900 BCE
- Originator
- Indus Valley Civilisation
- Source text
- Steatite seals
- Region
- Indus region (India/Pakistan)
- Discipline
- Archaeology & Prehistory
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Meanwhile in the West
Comparable in function to Mesopotamian seals.
Fair to say
The inscriptions cannot be read.
Path to modern innovation
Prime evidence of Indus administration and long-distance trade.
2,600 BCEIndus seals
2,500 BCETransmission
Some Indus seals were found in Mesopotamia, evidencing trade.
Museum objects
Stamp sealUnreviewed
Stamp seal and modern impression: unicorn and incense burner (?)Unreviewed
Stamp sealUnreviewed
References
- 1ASI
- 2museum collections
Further reading
Related
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-173 on GitHub.