Archaeology & Prehistory
The 'Pashupati' seal (proto-Shiva?)
c. 2500-2400 BCEIndus CivilisationMohenjo-daro sealTamil Nadu
2,500 BCE
A seated horned figure surrounded by animals, often read as an early form of Shiva.
- Dated
- 2,500–2,400 BCE
- As scholars put it
- c. 2500-2400 BCE
- Originator
- Indus Civilisation
- Source text
- Mohenjo-daro seal
- Region
- Tamil Nadu
- Discipline
- Archaeology & Prehistory
- Evidence
- Plausible precursor
- Confidence
- Low
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Fair to say
An interpretation proposed by John Marshall (1931); many scholars consider it unprovable while the script is unread.
Path to modern innovation
Frequently cited as evidence of continuity into Hinduism.
Builds on
2,600 BCEReferences
- 1Marshall (1931)
- 2D. Srinivasan
- 3Possehl
Further reading
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-239 on GitHub.