Ceramic Technological and Stylistic Boundaries on the Indus Frontier of Gujarat

Summary

Rita Wright’s pioneering work on the ceramic stylistic and technological traditions of the Indo-Iranian borderlands highlighted the potential of new theoretical approaches to our understanding of cultural boundaries within South Asia. This work highlighted the complex nature of technology and style boundaries within specific contexts of cultural interaction. This paper takes inspiration from Dr. Wright’s work and applies this framework to another frontier of the Indus: the northwestern state of Gujarat. At the time of the Harappan occupation of this region (4th to 2nd millennia BCE), Gujarat was home to a number of localized ceramic traditions. Overtime, this area came to represent a mix of both traditional cultural expressions of Harappan stylistic norms as well as regional appropriations and adaptations of Harappan ceramic style and technology. This unique cultural landscape developed as a result of different forms of cultural processes, whether it be emulation, knowledge transfer, or shared aesthetics. By comparing the technology and styles of local ceramic traditions with that of the Harappans it is possible to trace one aspect of social interaction within this area.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20073