A Review of the Chronology of Afghanistan, Baluchistan and the Indus Valley

Author(s): George F. Dales

Source: American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4 (Oct., 1968), pp. 305-307
Published by: Archaeological Institute of America
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1968]

CHRONOLOGIESIN OLD WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY

Kienast, B.
"Zu einigen Datenformeln aus der
1965
friihen Isinzeit," Journal of Cuneiform Studies XIX:45-55.
D.
McCown,
E., Haines, R. C. ass. Hansen, D. P.
1967
Nippur I, Temple of Enlil, Scribal Quarter, and Soundings ("Oriental Institute Publications," Vol.
LXXVIII). Chicago: University of
Chicago Press.
P.
R.
S.
Moorey,
"Some
1967
Aspects of Incised Drawing
and Mosaic in the Early Dynastic
Period," Iraq XXIX :97-Ii6.
Mortensen, Peder
"Additional Remarks on the Chronoli964
ogy of Early Village-Farming Communities in the Zagros Area," Sumer
XX:28-36.
Oates, David
"The Excavations at Tell Al Rimah,
1967
1966,"Iraq XXIX:70-96.
Parrot, Andre
"Les fouilles de Mari: seizieme
1967
campagne (printemps 1966)," Syria
XLIV:i and 2:I-26.
Sauren, Herbert
"Der Feldzug Utuhegals von Uruk
1967
gegen Tirigan und das Siedlungsgebiet der Gutaier,"Revue d'Assyriologie
LXI/i:75-79.
UVB XXI-XXIII
1965-1967 Lenzen, Heinrich, et al., Vorliufiger

305

Bericht iiber die von dem Deutschen

Archiologischen Institut und der
Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft aus
den Mitteln der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft unternommenen
Ausgrabungen in Uruk-Warka. Berlin: Mann.
ADDITIONSto be madein "TheRelativeChronology

of Mesopotamia, Part I," Chronologies 133-2oo.

The following printer's omissions were noted:
pp. 196-197s.v. Moortgat, A.:
1935 "Friihe Bildkunst in Sumer," Mitteilungen
der Vorderasiatisch-aegyptischenGesellschaft
40/3.
1940 VorderasiatischeRollsiegel: Ein Beitrag zur
Geschichte der Steinschneidekunst (Staatliche
Museen zu Berlin) Berlin: Gebr. Mann.
CORRECTIONS

The captions for Fig. VII:5 and 6 should be exchanged.

On p. 171 line 8 from the bottom the phrase
should read subject similar to not on.
In Fig. V of the third chart the vertical framing
line should have been continued to the bottom and
the horizontal lines extending beyond it should
have been eliminated. These corrections as well as
one for the shape of the multiple butt of the axe,
Fig. V:I, could not be made in press.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

A Reviewof the Chronologyof Afghanistan,Baluchistan

and the IndusValley
GEORGE F. DALES
AMENDMENTS TO THE CHRONOLOGICAL CHART

(Chronologies 278-279).
Togau ware "a" (in Anjira-Siah column) should
probably be placed earlier in Phase C because of
its stylistic comparisons with Mundigak
1,3Phase F should be subdivided. Most of F corresponds to "Mature"Harappan but a "Late" Harappan stage is becoming more clearly defined.
Thus in the column for Amri, Period IIIc belongs

to the "Late" Harappan while IIIB and IIIA

are "Mature."
Also under Amri, the "Intermediate"period is
divided by the excavatorinto IA, B, C, and D (corresponding to my Phase D). Amrian ID, however,
may be on the dividing line between my Phase D
and E in that it apparentlyhas stylistic connections
with Kulli. Amrian IA has close connections with
Togau ware "c,"thus providing a cross-checkwith
the Anjira sequence.

306

GEORGE F. DALES

The "antecedent"period at Kalibangan is now

termed "Sothi" by the Indian archaeologists. It
apparently should extend earlier on the chart because of its stylistic contacts with Mundigak Late
III and all of IV as well as Amri IB through ID
and possibly IIB.

[AJA 72

ently reliable published dates suggests the following mean averages for Phases D, E, and F:

Phase D: Northern Baluchistan 2518 ? 184 B.C.

Phase E: Northern Baluchistan 2401 ? 147 B.c.
Southern Baluchistan
2220 ? 84 B.c.
Kot Diji
Northern Rajasthan
CORRECTIONS
AND ADDITIONSTO THE RADIOCARBON
Kalibangan "Sothi" culture
DATES (Chronologies 276-277).
or possibly mixed with
NEOLITHIC
New dates for BURZAHOMKASHMIR
Harappan--only 4 of 9
8
dates seem reliable
in
Radiocarbon
and
2191 ?
52 B.C.
7 (1965)
appear
(1966)-Phase F: Northern Rajasthan,
Tata Institute Lists III & IV respectively.
New dates for UTNUR SOUTHINDIANNEOLITHIC Kalibangan
1957 ? 30 B.c.
Late"
&
"Middle
in
Radiocarbon
Harappan, 15
7 (1965).
appear
Numerous new dates for INDIAN"NEOLITHIC" samples
Southern Indus Valley,
ANDCHALCOLITHIC
appear in the recent issues of
Radiocarbon.
Mohenjo-daro
6 new dates, "Latest Mature"
Correction: The Ghar-i-Mar, Afghanistan dates
Harappan
1989 - 26 B.C.
were incorrectly cited as calculated on a half-life
the
previously pubIncluding
of 5568 years. Corrected to the new half-life of
lished
date
from
an old sample 1956 ? 28 B.c.
the
read:
dates
5730 years
Gujarat, Western India
Lothal "Mature& Late" Harap6960
Ioo0B.c. (Hv-425)
5487 ? 100 B.C. (Hv-428)
2003 ? 68 B.C.
pan (7 dates, 4 reliable)
?
100
5290
76 B.c.
Rojdi, "Late" Harappan
1859
B.c. (Hv-429)
Phase G, "Early Post-Harappan":
INDUSVALLEYCIVILIZATION
Lothal, "Early Post-Harappan" 1838 ? 88 B.c.
There are now 63 dates published for the Indus
regions and Baluchistan which are relevant for the Thus the available C-I4 dates for Harappan civilchronology of Harappan civilization. This more ization fall within the average extremes of 2400than doubles the number of dates available when i850 B.c. This ties in well with the estimated date
the original Chronology article was written. Un- of the civilization based on comparative archaeofortunately, they are of unequal reliability and for logical evidence with the Near East, namely Old
many of them the stratigraphiccontext is not given Akkadian through Isin-Larsa Periods. However,
in detail, but taken as a group they do provide an serious questions will arise concerning the absolute
dating of the Mesopotamian sequence if the presinteresting beginning.
For new dates on the Quetta, Northern Baluchis- ent uncertainties expressed by some C-14 experts
tan sequence see Fairhall et al. 1966. The largest become reality. Current cross-checksbetween C-14
and dendrochronology suggest that the C-14 calnumber of new dates is from Kalibangan-see
Agrawal et al. 1965 and Agrawal and Kusumgar culations may be as much as 200 years too young
for the period around 2000 B.c. The implications
1966.
Additional dates for Lothal and new dates from are obvious.
UNIVERSITY MUSEUM, PHILADELPHIA
Rojdi-both sites in the Gujarat region of India
-are in Agrawal et al. 1965.
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Radiocarbon 7:291-295.
-see Stuckenrath 1967. An analysis of the appar-

CHRONOLOGIES:AFGHANISTAN, BALUCHISTAN, THE INDUS

1968]

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Valley, Chronologies 257-284.

Text: p. 275, third item listed under Phase F

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