IIT Gandhinagar, ministry of culture to host international colloquium on Harappan Civilisation

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT Gandhinagar) and the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, will host a three-day International Colloquium on “Emerging Perspectives of Harappan Civilisation” from February 10 to 12. The colloquium will focus on the genesis, material culture, climatic scenario, and theoretical perspectives of the proto-historic era.

The event will also witness the establishment of the ‘Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Archaeology Chair’ at the institute to support and promote research in archaeological sciences.

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The three-day colloquium planned to be held in hybrid mode, will bring together more than 65 archaeologists, scientists, and research scholars from India and abroad to speak and present their research on the Harappan Civilisation during different thematic sessions. The sessions include genesis of the Harappan, Indus and Indus-Saraswati Civilisation, terminologies; state and polity during the Harappan Civilisation; trade contacts with other regions; technology during the Harappan Civilisation; climate and environmental studies; bio-archaeological perspectives (floral, faunal, and other related studies); bio-anthropological or DNA studies and the composition of the Harappan population.

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The Indus script: inputs from archaeology and statistical studies; de-urbanisation processes of the Harappan Civilisation; Harappan Civilisation vs Vedic Culture: possible points of contact/transmission; among others are some of the sessions planned in the three-day event.

Aims of the IIT Gandhinagar, Ministry of culture International Colloquium

(i) Bring together the scholarly community engaged in those themes;

(ii) Deliberate on the various facets and unresolved issues of this civilisation;

(iii) Arrive at a consensus on terminologies used in this context;

(iv) Foster future collaborations in fieldwork and research;

(v) propose a national centre for Harappan studies; and

(vi) Bring together various state governments and research institutions to evolve a mechanism for the protection, preservation of this rich cultural heritage with the help of Government of India.