Fisher woman of my Mohenjo

Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6
Fig. 7 Fig. 8
The Indus people did not build monumental structures, and
there is no conclusive evidence of palaces or temples.
However, a number of public buildings were discovered at
different sites across the Indus region, such as the Great Bath
of Mohenjo-daro (Fig. 3), a water tank (14.5x7 m large and
2.4 m deep), which might have been reserved for ritual
bathing. In terms of political organisation, the archaeological
record does not offer any indication. There are no
representations of any kind of ruler, and no evidence of royal
compounds. Indus seals are the most characteristic artefacts
produced by the Indus people. They are square in shape
(ca. 3 cm on each side), and are made of soapstone. The seals
have a single-line inscription on the top and are carved with an
animal in the central part. Although the Indus script has yet to
be deciphered, about 200 simple signs and 200 composite ones
have been identified. The fish sign , for example, is one of the
most common. Scholars have suggested that the sign
represents the word for ‘star’ as in all Dravidian (South
Indian) languages, the word ‘meen’ means both ‘fish’ and
‘star’. Stars might have been perceived as deities by the Indus
people, who probably pictured them as fish swimming in the
ocean of heaven. The animals depicted on the seals include
both domestic and wild animals, including the Indus ‘unicorn’
(Fig. 4) – a bull seen in profile –, which is the most common
animal represented on these objects. Other animals include
gaurs (Indian bison; Fig. 5), zebus (humped bulls; Fig. 6),
elephants (Fig. 7) and rhinoceroses (Fig. 8). The animals
carved on the seals might have represented ruling clans or
trading guilds. It is likely that Indus seals were used for trade
and administration purposes.