Picture Caption: An example of a rectangular seal.
When you think of writing, what do you think about? The english alphabet containing 26 letters? What about when you are about to write an essay what do you go and grab to use? A pen or pencil right? Do you grab a sheet of paper while you are it? Well none of what we have today were available to the people of the Indus River Valley Civilization.
In Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, the people used what they could find to make scribes on seals. Seals can represent various things including animal and ideas. Archaeologists have been able to identify over 400 different pictographs. Although the most common shape of the seals were squares, there were also rectangular ones. A pointed stick or either a sharp tool would be used as their writing utensil. As for what they wrote on, soft clay, stone or metal would be their form of paper. Unlike our society, not many civilians could read or write, but those who could most likely used it for trade, religion, and/or government. Around the late 1920's early 1930's, a British archaeologist found a unicorn seal in Mohenjo-Daro which dates back to 2000 BCE. In the city of Harappa, a bull seal was found dating to around 2450-2200 BCE. Some think this seal is the most impressive found yet.
Fun Fact: When we read/write a book, we read/write from left to right; however, Mohenjo-Daro citizens read/wrote in a pattern. They wrote their first line from right to left then their second line from left to right and so on.
In Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, the people used what they could find to make scribes on seals. Seals can represent various things including animal and ideas. Archaeologists have been able to identify over 400 different pictographs. Although the most common shape of the seals were squares, there were also rectangular ones. A pointed stick or either a sharp tool would be used as their writing utensil. As for what they wrote on, soft clay, stone or metal would be their form of paper. Unlike our society, not many civilians could read or write, but those who could most likely used it for trade, religion, and/or government. Around the late 1920's early 1930's, a British archaeologist found a unicorn seal in Mohenjo-Daro which dates back to 2000 BCE. In the city of Harappa, a bull seal was found dating to around 2450-2200 BCE. Some think this seal is the most impressive found yet.
Fun Fact: When we read/write a book, we read/write from left to right; however, Mohenjo-Daro citizens read/wrote in a pattern. They wrote their first line from right to left then their second line from left to right and so on.