Location: Sanger Science Center Room 150, Beloit College, Beloit, WI
Speaker: Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Title: The Indus Civilization (2600-1900 BCE): New Insights on Early Urbanism and Its Legacy

About: This lecture on the Indus Civilization will focus on some of the most important new discoveries made at Harappa and other sites in Pakistan and India, as well as in neighboring regions such as Oman. The new findings reveal a shift in perspectives on how the Indus Civilization emerged around 2600-1900 BC. We now know that the origins of this culture can be traced to much earlier periods along the Indus and adjacent regions. New discoveries indicate that different regions contributed to the emergence of early urban society, rather than just one site or area. Regional variations also suggest that this culture adjusted to different local environments and socio-economic and political developments. The shared character of the Indus cities can also be understood through the study of their distinctive technology, ornaments, textiles, ceramics, architecture, art, and ideology. Between 1900-1000 BC the cities and settlements of this civilization began to change. Major issues that contributed to these changes will be discussed along with the important legacy of the Indus Civilization that has impacted later cultures and continues up to the present.