The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective

The Indus Civilization of India and Pakistan was contemporary with, and equally complex as the better-known cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt and China. The dean of North American Indus scholars, Gregory Possehl, attempts here to marshal the state of knowledge about this fascinating culture in a readable synthesis. He traces the rise and fall of this civilization, examines the economic, architectural, artistic, religious, and intellectual components of this culture, describes its most famous sites, and shows the relationships between the Indus Civilization and the other cultures of its time. As a sourcebook for scholars, a textbook for archaeology students, and an informative volume for the lay reader, The Indus Civilization will be an exciting and informative read.

GREGORY L. POSSEHL is a professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and Curator of the Asian Collections at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. He has been engaged in archaeological research in Indian and Pakistan since 1964, from Iron Age megaliths to Mesolithic encampments, including directing excavations at Rojdi in Gujarat and Gilund in southern Rajasthan. Possehl has written and edited a number of important books on the Indus Civilization and related topics.