Patterns of pastoralism: Temporal and regional variation within the Indus Valley Civilisation

Abstract

The archaeozoological study of the Indus Valley Civilisation, particularly in the last few decades, has resulted in a better understanding of human-animal interactions, providing information about species that have been commonly found at Indus Valley sites, both wild and domestic. This is also indicative of the nature of animal-based subsistence at these settlements and the interplay between humans, animals, and the environment. However, these studies have largely been conducted at the level of individual sites, and despite extensive analysis of excavated faunal materials, synthesis of faunal data across different developmental phases of this civilisation and its regions, has rarely taken place. As a result, there exists little understanding of broader animal utilisation patterns within the Indus Valley Civilisation and their relation to climate and landscape. This article produces a comparative analysis of domestic animal utilisation by combining and reanalysing faunal data from different regions of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Our analysis reveals extreme disparity in the spatial and temporal distribution of domesticated animals within this Civilisation. Of the different regions, the amount of data required for interpretation is only available from Haryana and Gujarat, and this largely pertains to the Mature Harappan period, with the Early and Late Harappan phases being grossly underrepresented. Although cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, and pigs were the primary domesticates across regions, their distribution and economic importance varied and changed over time. This variation may indicate differentiated regional and temporal cultures and adaptations to climatic change.