Understanding the female and child burials from the Harappan sites of North-Western region of India

Abstract (English)

Abstract
Introduction
Harappan studies have been an intriguing topic of study amongst archaeologists for the last few decades, especially its burials. These burials provide an insight into the socio-economic structure of the society, through its prevalent practices and methods. The main objective of this study is to specifically delve into the female and child burials of the Harappan sites of the North-Western region of India in order to derive any pattern in terms of individualistic study of excavated burials, as well as the societal unit as a whole.
Materials and Methods
The study sites are Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan, Lothal, Ropar, Surkotada, Farmana, Dholavira, and the nearby areas, all situated in the North-Western region of India. Primary resources such as Excavation Reports of these sites published by the Government of India’s Archaeological Survey of India, in addition to, the recent scientific studies of bone samples, issued in Annual Reports and recent Anthropological research publications, have been studied to attain field-data for doing this study.
Results and Discussion
The study has revealed intriguing patterns of mortuary practices. As inferred from sites like Farmana, Lothal, Rakhigarhi, Kalibangan, etc., some locations have seen a distinction in funerary artifacts according to age and gender. Social influence may have governed the closeness of affinity, but variations in the ways that the dead were disposed of must have been greatly influenced by prevailing practices and customs, topography, available resources, and the social standing of the individuals, among many other characteristics. Certain sites such as Rakhigarhi and Farmana, both in the Ghaggar-Hakra region, have paid much attention to female burials, that are inclusive of burial goods. The site of Lothal is devoid of female burials in entirety. Although fewer in number than those of adults, the burials of children and adolescents also constitute a corpus of burials. The social conventions surrounding the burial of men and women may have varied depending on variation in practices in certain areas. With the exception of a few influential women in the community, others might or might not have received any kind of burial, including cremation or disposal in the outdoors or in other ways that might have been seen socially acceptable.
Conclusion/ Inference
In addition to demonstrating the vast range of methods used for the burial of the deceased and the significance placed on their care, mortuary customs have allowed for an understanding of a portion of Harappan social life in the particular study sites.