Published: 11 Sep 2017
Indus Valley Civilization Gold Jewellery
The Indus Valley civilization has a charm of its own. Historians and other enthusiasts are always curious to know about our earliest ancestors; how they lived, what they ate and what they wore and so on. Thankfully, with the help of archaeologists, the answers to some of these questions have been found in one of the greatest civilization of all times – that of the Indus Valley.
The excavation of this civilization not only tells us about our roots, but also shows how, through the centuries, we as humans have been fascinated by jewellery. The excavations unearthed jewellery as well as sculptures wearing various forms of jewellery. There was a particularly fascinating selection of gold jewellery discovered in this excavation.
The ornaments constructed from gold reveal the love for the yellow metal and its significance in the lives of Indus Valley inhabitants.
Some of the gold items found in the excavation include:
Head-Ornaments
The cone-shaped head ornaments constructed from gold were discovered in Harappa.
Necklaces
Gold necklaces have been excavated from the Indus Valley. These are likely to have been worn by men and women, as it is believed that men of the Indus Valley wore jewellery too.
Rings
Several gold rings are part of the jewellery excavated from the Indus Valley, which we believe would have adorned the fingers of the women of the Indus Valley.
Pendant
A gold pendant set was also part of the excavated the jewellery. The experts are not sure about what it was worn with
Amulet
The experts believe that amongst the excavated pieces, there is an amulet too which might have been used to ward-off the evil. The ornament is candle-shaped and appears to be a neck-ornament.
Several other jewellery pieces
A few of the gold pieces have been constructed differently; experts believe they were part of home décor. Additionally, many figurines and sculptures depicting men and women with jewellery on their neck, ears and arms were excavated.
Most of these jewellery items have been put on exhibit at the Alamkara – the jewellery gallery as well as the Harappa gallery at the National Museum, New Delhi in India. The sculptures and other items from the excavation are also on display here. The excavation proves that the gold jewellery fascination that we all seem to have today, started from our ancestral roots way back from the time of Indus Valley.
