<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating and "reader friendly" historical study.
Review: A Peaceful Dream: The Rise And Fall Of The Indus Civilization by archaeologist and prehistory expert Jane McIntosh is an amazing account of the second oldest known civilization next to the Mesopotamian Civilization. Little is known for absolute certain, yet much has been unearthed of the Indus Civilization. This informative account is gloriously illustrated with maps and black-and-white photographs, as well as a section of color plates, showing the lost treasures and artifacts of an ancient world. Chapters recount and hypothesize about religion, trade, the enigmatic script and the eternal legacy of the Indus Civilization. A Peaceful Dream is a fascinating and "reader friendly" historical study which is very highly recommended for personal, school, and community library antiquities collections and reading lists.
Rating:
Summary: A real contribution to the field
Review: A ver concise and well-illustrated look at the ancient Indus Valley.
Rating: 
Summary: An Archaeologist walks right into the linguistic trap
Review: Archaeologist Jane McIntosh walks right into the linguistic trap.1. She agrees that the Indus Civilization should now be seen as the
Indus-Saraswati Civilization (p. 24, 53). "But in Indus times, the
Saraswati was a mighty river (p. 53). She cites Griffith's (1890)
translations of the Rig Vedic hymns regarding the Saraswati River, as
quoted by Possehl (1999). 2. She approvingly cites Dales (1964) who has mocked at Wheeler's 37
skeletons as proof that an "Aryan Invasion" had occurred (p, 178. 179). 3. She draws upon Asko Parpola's work in connecting the Indus
artifacts to the Vedas. Regarding the trefoils on the robe worn by
the famous "Priest King" of the Indus, she says, " This robe was also
mentioned in the Vedas as being worn by kings during their
consecration. Parpola also argues that the trefoil could represent the
three-lobed hearth, used not only in the home but also in Vedic
sacrifices, and the Vulva or womb-the yoni symbol of the goddess Durga
and counterpart to the lingam, symbol of Shiva (p. 108)." 4. She acknowledges that the Indus people had knowledge of astronomy.
"Asko Parpola and a number of other scholars relate this (the
systematic arrangement of streets) to the astronomical knowledge of
the Indus people and to the unknown (!)religious beliefs that must lie
behind this (p. 99, parentheses added)." 5. She discusses Parpola's interpretation of a famous Indus seal
(color plate 10 in the book) as depicting goddess Durga, her husband
Shiva and the wives of the seven sages who are also the seven stars of
the Great bear (ref. 116-117). 6. She admits that the discovery of fire alters which were probably
used for Vedic sacrifices has been an embarrassment to the theory that
the Indus civilization was pre-Vedic. After all this, one would expect her to reach the logical conclusion
that if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then.. It IS a duck.
That is the Indus and the Vedic people are the same. But hold on a
minute! She bows down the linguistic fables and fails to reach that
rather obvious conclusion. "Their (Vedic) literature shows that they moved gradually from the
north, on the Iranian plateau, into the Panjab and hence farther into
the subcontinent.. (p. 128, parenthesis added)," "This (the linguistic) evidence seems to show that the speakers of the
Indo-Aryan (also known as plain "Aryan") languages, a branch of the
Indo-European language family that covered Europe, Iran and Northern
India by the late 1st millennium BC entered the region in the Indus
region during the second millennium BC .. (p. 128, first parenthesis
added)." "The migrations of Indo-Aryan speakers can be traced in their early
literature the Vedas. The geographical information that they contain
shows that the Indo-Aryans (who it is thought came organically from
the area north of the Black and Caspian Seas) entered the northwest
during the 2nd millennium BC and thence moved eastward into the Ganges
Valley ... (p. 147)." McIntosh does not mention what this geographical information is and
how it shows the so called movement from northwest to the east. As
archaeologist she obviously has not found any physical evidence for
such a movement . Even the strongest proponents of AIT/AMT now agree that the Rig Vedas does not provide any evidence of movement like that, and its geography can be firmly placed in the North west of the Indian subcontinent. The author contradicts herself within a space of few paragraphs; viz "Although the Indo-Aryan languages were introduced by invader...(p. 202)," and "One key aspect of the Indus society as I have reconstructed it, is its absence of violance or military activity (p. 203)." One wonders, "what is so powerful about these highly speculative linguistic theories that grips even informed scholars to passively submit to them in favor of their scientifcally testable methods.
Rating: 
Summary: An Accurate, comprehensive and accessible description
Review: I am glad to read this book, which is produced very aesthetically with stunning color and black and white photographs. The book forms a suitable companion to Kenoyer's "Cities of the Indus Civilization". It contains neatly divided sections and chapters on various topics (e.g. Pottery, textiles, metallurgy, town planning). It does not confine itself to just a dry description of artifacts and excavated towns - the discusion is skilfully supplemented by insights from cultural and social anthropology and other tools of theoritical archaeology. The author does a commendable job in showing the survival of the vital traits of the civilization down to our present times in India and Pakistan - whether it is houseplanning, village carts, ladles and coonches for pouring oblations in sacred ritual fire and so on. With the current acedemic climate being vitiated by virtiolic disputes over the nature of this civilization,the author manages to steer clear of the controversies, and manages to give a very consistent, accurate, insightful account that is quite understandable to the lay reader. The author is a practicing archaeologist, with excavation experience in India and Pakistan. It is hoped that she will continue writing on the Indus Civilization in the years to come.
Rating:
Summary: A Peaceful Realm
Review: The overused adjective "mysterious" certainly applies to the ancient Indus Valley civilization, because far less is known about these people than about other ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. Much basic excavation work remains to be done, and the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered. Author Jane McIntosh meets this challenge by combining the best of current scholarship with her own wide-ranging and thoughtful analysis, to produce an appropriately tentative, yet consistent and plausible, view of the Indus civilization. In the author's own words, "it was an exceptionally well integrated state, in harmony with its environment, where warfare was absent and everyone led a comfortable existence under the benevolent leadership of a dedicated priesthood." These conclusions are developed step-by-step throughout the book, with chapters on the rise and fall of the Indus civilization, farming, crafts, urbanization, religion, society, writing, trade, and contributions to the later civilization of India. The writing throughout is clear, understandable, and objective. The author includes and evaluates an impressive variety of types of evidence, from archaeology to anthropology and linguistics, and approaches this controversial subject with a disciplined, yet open and undogmatic, mind. In a field where so much remains to be done, it is always possible that future discoveries will radically change our view of the Indus civilization. "A Peaceful Realm" is an excellent synthesis of current knowledge about Indus studies, and can be recommended to anyone interested in the Indus in particular or ancient civilizations in general.
Rating:
Summary: A Peaceful Realm
Review: The overused adjective "mysterious" certainly applies to the ancient Indus Valley civilization, because far less is known about these people than about other ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. Much basic excavation work remains to be done, and the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered. Author Jane McIntosh meets this challenge by combining the best of current scholarship with her own wide-ranging and thoughtful analysis, to produce an appropriately tentative, yet consistent and plausible, view of the Indus civilization. In the author's own words, "it was an exceptionally well integrated state, in harmony with its environment, where warfare was absent and everyone led a comfortable existence under the benevolent leadership of a dedicated priesthood." These conclusions are developed step-by-step throughout the book, with chapters on the rise and fall of the Indus civilization, farming, crafts, urbanization, religion, society, writing, trade, and contributions to the later civilization of India. The writing throughout is clear, understandable, and objective. The author includes and evaluates an impressive variety of types of evidence, from archaeology to anthropology and linguistics, and approaches this controversial subject with a disciplined, yet open and undogmatic, mind. In a field where so much remains to be done, it is always possible that future discoveries will radically change our view of the Indus civilization. "A Peaceful Realm" is an excellent synthesis of current knowledge about Indus studies, and can be recommended to anyone interested in the Indus in particular or ancient civilizations in general.
<< 1 >>
| 
