An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s7.2

v1.c9.s7.2

The first reports of the discoveries at Mohenjo-daro, now spelt as Moen-jo daro in Pakistan (Dani, 1981, p. 10), were immediately followed by reports on the prior discovery of some Indus seals, or seals with Indus affinities, at some Mesopotanian sites. This led to the recognition of trade contacts between the two regions. Wild theories of the Indus civilization being an offshoot of the Sumerian followed (cf. Weddell, 1925, pp. 21-5). On the Indian side theories on the Indus civilization being post-Vedic in date or Vedic in character were not lacking. More useful were the explorations undertaken in Baluchistan and Sind, respectively to understand the route followed in the Indo-Mesopotanian trade and the extent of the Indus civilization. The conclusion of Stein, 1934, pp. 172-202, who explored in Baluchistan, was that in the absence of any site of respectable antiquity on the Arabian Sea coast the communication between the Indus valley and Sumer was more by land than by sea.