Rita P. Wright. The ancient Indus: urbanism, economy and society.
Manuel, Mark
RITA P. WRIGHT. The ancient Indus: urbanism, economy and society.
x+396 pages, 78 illustrations, 13 tables. 2010. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press; 978-0-521-57219-4 hardback $85 & 45 [pounds
sterling]; 978-0-521-57652-9 paperback $27.99 & 15.99 [pounds
sterling].
Since its 'discovery' in the 1920s the Indus civilisation
has, on the one hand, fascinated scholars; but on
the other, it remained the poor cousin of Egyptian and Mesopotamian
scholarly research. Whilst the lack of monumental architecture, a
deciphered script, or depictions of elites may have dissuaded a number
of scholars, it has presented a group of hardy archaeologists with the
challenge of understanding an early complex society from excavation and
survey data alone.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Wright's book, The ancient Indus: urbanism, economy and
society, aims to do this, presenting in detail the archaeological
evidence from a broad sweep of sites, sources and periods. Ranging from
the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals and
plants at Mehrgarh to the breakdown of urban society, the core chapters
of the book cover the key periods in sequential order. It begins with an
in-depth look at the palaeogeography and hydrology of the Greater Indus
region, and the varied topographical and climatic conditions within
which this civilisation emerged. It goes on to explore the origins of
sedentism and the movement of settlements from the upland areas of
Baluchistan to the Indus plain itself. Subsequent chapters examine the
function, morphology and political organisation of the urban centres; a
heavy focus on what Wright terms 'agro-pastoral and
craft--producing economies'; long distance trade; the social
landscape of the Indus; and its religion and ideology. The book ends on
a discussion of the breakdown of urban society.
The real strength of The ancient Indus is the focus on new research
that allows the book to break from the traditional Wheeler-derived
paradigms of statehood, rigid planning and hereditary elites, and shift
the focus onto ideas of city-states, competing groups of elites, and
urban-rural dichotomies. The reconstruction of manufacturing processes
and techniques bring the artefacts to life in a way that few other
fields can match. Indeed, it is Wright's analysis of craft
specialisation--in particular seals, and the terracotta and stone
figurines from Harappa and Mohenjo-daro--that are the stand-out features
of the book. Decades of archaeological and ethnographic work by a number
of scholars culminate here in a highly detailed record of not only how
such artefacts were produced, but also the debitage generated. Craft
specialisation is Wright's area of expertise, and it shows through
in the chapters on craft-producing economies.
Wright's references to her own work within the Indus, ranging
from excavating at Mehrgarh as a graduate student to conducting her own
survey within the Beas River lend an air of competence with the
material, as well as adding a personal touch to such a detailed book.
While some may be put off by the use of the first-person within
textbooks, to others it creates an air of informality. It allows the
reader to understand that these are the interpretations of an
individual, and not necessarily the collective, agreed norms. This leads
to one of the few criticisms of the book: that Wright tends to shy away
from some of the more contentious, and interesting, debates within the
subject. For instance, the issue of whether social, political and
arte-factual homogeneity is achieved through co-operation or coercion.
Or that the 'decline' of the Indus is really only a collapse
of the urban infrastructure--most artefactual, subsistence and
architectural facets of the Indus are maintained, and even developed, on
the peripheries. The lack of theoretical debate underpinning the
archaeological interpretation means that at times The ancient Indus can
seem a little dry and data heavy. However, this should not detract from
the valuable archaeological information that lies within. Currently, no
other book offers such an in-depth review of Indus studies.
MARK MANUEL
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK (Email:
m.j.manuel@durham.ac.uk)
