The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t2.1

c14.s1.t2.1

As one moves eastwards, leaving these inhospitable highland valleys, into the plains of the Indus, one sees a marked change: the higher cultures flourishing in the main valley of the Indus. "The Iranian aspect of the society has disappeared", says Fairservis, "and another influence, the Indian in ritual, artifacts, architecture can be clearly discerned." But unfortunately for us, the Pre-Harappan cultures in the main basin are yet shrouded in obscurity. Earlier, Mackay noticed sherds of the Quetta wet ware in the "lower levels" of Mohenjo-Daro.⁴ Similarly Wheeler found a few sherds in: (1) occupation layer underlying the defences, (2) from the material accumulated during the construction, and (3) from the material of the rampart and incidental platforms. They show affinities to pottery from Periano Ghundai, and Pre-Harappa layers of Amri. "In these groups, the contrast, between the true Harappa sherds introduced at the time of construction, and the non-Harappa sherds of the preceding or lingering occupation, is so marked as to indicate the probability of a basic difference of culture...... The provisional inference, is that the building of the defences marked the first impact of Harappa culture on this site, and that the builders were preceded hereby a town—or village—occupation representing a variant or even alien culture".¹