Professional Documents
Culture Documents
of India
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Department of Archaeology, MS University of Baroda
2015: MSU Indus sites, India – Clay sealings 2016: Dholavira, India – Clay sealings
Understanding the main function and socioeconomic significance of Indus stamp seals
Information about the administrative and bureaucratic procedures used to manage goods stored
at a centralized level
information about the Indus storage technology, including the types of containers, ropes and
stings in perishable materials
Syria, ca. 6200-6000 BCE Turkey, ca. 3300-3000 BCE
Sealings clusters
Sealings clusters
300 clay sealings (with impressions of 67 different seals) used to control 6600 clay sealings found in the Palace: 1) still in place on the containers;
the redistribution within the community of the result of collective 2) collected in specific rooms functioning as temporary archives 3)
activities. regularly dumped in pits .
Sealings were found within collective storehouses, while seals Sealings and seals were found within the same building to indicate
were found in private houses indicating the presence of storage the presence of resident bureaucrats at the service of the central
services for the community. agency.
MS University Baroda
INAA
DHOLAVIRA
1. Nagwada
MSU Indus Sites
2. Bagasra
3. Shikarpur
Parpola A. 2007. Seal impressions on the Clay tags from Lothal: A re-analysis.
In T. Osada (ed.) Indus Civilization: Text and Context: Vol: II
Parpola A. 2007. Seal impressions on the Clay tags from Lothal: A re-analysis.
In T. Osada (ed.) Indus Civilization: Text and Context: Vol: II
Fiandra E. 1975 Ancora a proposito delle cretule di Festòs. M. Fragipane (ed.) Arslantepe. Alle origini del potere (2004)
Lothal, India = ca. 70 within the s.c. Warehouse Harappa, Pakistan = earliest sealing in Indus site within a hearth
S.R. Rao 1979. Lothal, a Harappan port town (1955-62) Photograph by J.M. Kenoyer, Courtesy HARP Project
Clay sealings to control and keep record of TC tokens to provide the user with the same
the closing and opening of doors and containers rights and privileges of the original seal?
One unicorn seal has been used at Lothal for 15 stamps to seal
different type of containers alone or in combination with other seals
The main seal’s icon was often covered by successive impressions,
obliterated by fingerprints or simply not impressed
Presence of seal’s iconographies on the Clay sealings found at Dholavira
Presence of seal’s iconographies on the Clay sealings found at Dholavira
Limited number
Extremely small
Complex morphology including elements of different materials
Limited number
Extremely small
Complex morphology including elements of different materials
Limited number
Extremely small
Complex morphology including elements of different materials
Limited number
Extremely small
Complex morphology including elements of different materials
Limited number
Extremely small
Complex morphology including elements of different materials
Composite lockers
Baskets
Kalibangan
Lothal
Mohenjo-Daro Dholavira
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society
Same administrative sealing procedure reconstructed for the Middle East:
Clay sealings used to control and record the access to specific rooms and
containers and to the goods they contained
Clay sealings used in the internal administration of the sites and not for securing the
integrity of shipped packages
Clay sealings were used to control main types of containers used in the Middle East
Structures and closing devices unique of the Indus Civilization sites
About one/third of the clay sealings have been stamped with more than one seal
(sharing of ownership, storage space or administrative duties?)
Storage and administrative technologies and procedures were adapted to the
socioeconomic organization of the different sites or part of the sites
Considering the lower occurrence of clay sealings at Indus sites respect to sites in
the Middle East and the use of a different storage technology I think they were not
equally used for the daily redistribution of food rations but to control goods and raw
materials of pivotal socioeconomic and ideological importance in the Indus society