ANTH 1295 - Unearthing Civilization: Burial Practices in Indus Valley

This essay examines burial practices in the Indus Valley civilization (circa 2500-1900 BC), drawing on archaeological evidence from sites like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. It analyzes three main forms of burial: complete, fractional, and post-cremation, linking these practices to religious beliefs about the afterlife. The paper discusses how social status influenced burial customs, with elites receiving more elaborate interments. It also explores the increasing popularity of natural burials as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to cremation and embalming. Furthermore, the essay considers how archaeologists use concepts of identity, myth, and performance to interpret burial practices and understand the beliefs and social structures of the Indus Valley people. Desklib provides a platform for students to access similar essays and solved assignments.

Running Head: BURIAL PRACTICES IN THE INDUS VALLEY
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Burial Practices in the Indus Valley
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Burial Practices in the Indus Valley
Burials in the Indus valley dates back to around 2500 to 1900 BC, and civilization in the
area has changed over time based on the burial practices identified by the excavators.
Archaeologist such as Mortimer identified several burial sites that proved that the Indus
practiced burial ceremonies and rites. Just like the religion, every burial site depicted distinctive
characteristics from each other based on the practices and way of burying the dead. Three forms
of burials were evident from the excavation by the archaeologists in sites such as Mohenjo-Daro
and Viz. These include the complete funeral practices that involve the burial of the whole body
and is performed in different forms. The fractional burial entails burying of only part of the body
such as head and lastly the post-cremation burial form (McIntosh, 2008). The practices used in
the funeral linked to the religious beliefs of the afterlife and had their significance. The paper
will, therefore, look into detail and analyze the three forms of burial practiced in different sites in
the Indus valley, how beliefs of the afterlife influence the burial practices, and why natural burial
has become fashionable in most parts of the world. Moreover, the paper will look into how the
various excavations reflect civilization and changes in burial practices.
According to Rebay-Salisbury (2012), complete burial entails burying of the whole body
together with other material possession. These may consist of grave furniture and other offerings
provided during the ceremony. Full burial was evident in sites such as Mohenjo-Daro with about
30 skeletons found in different groups. Such excavations appeared to be buried after an
accidental death. Fractional burial was visible by only some parts of the body being found during
excavation. It is argued that such burial was done after the corpse are exposed to external
vultures and wild beasts that fed on parts of the body. In such cases, burial practices were
inhuman since the body is not buried completely. The religious belief in life after death required

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the body to be fully buried so that the dead can continue with life after death (Rafique, 1990). An
example of such burial was evident by an urn with a skull and other fragmented bones.
Post-cremation burial is the practice of burning the dead, and it was evident in some parts
of Indus valley. A variety of objects and bones such as bangles, beads, skull, and bones of
animals like goats and lamb and those of birds have been found underneath the floor or along the
streets. In Kalibangan, other types of burial have been noticed like extended inhumation of the
dead with oval or rectangular shaped grave (Parpola, 2015). Such graves contained pottery goods
and other objects that may be placed in the cemetery. Pot burial was practiced in circular tombs
and had all the grave goods except the central urn and lastly the pottery deposits which was done
in rectangular or oval graves. Other forms of burial were also evident in Lothal wherein only a
single skeleton was found in one grave, and the other two bones were found buried together.
The forms of burial found in the Indus valley have provided various clues about nature
and religious beliefs in the land. Every practice at least has a symbolism of specific belief that
members of the community conform to and follow. Excavations of the graves in Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro by the archaeologist identified that the low class and high class had different
forms of burial based on the remains found on the graves (Konoye, 2006). Looking at the social
level in the community, those individuals at the highest social class had decent burials by
burying them in clothing and ornaments while those in the lower class were not clothed during
funerals. Moreover, individuals at the higher social level were wrapped in a shroud and placed in
a wooden coffin before being buried where they believed the dead would continue using the
clothing and ornaments in the life after death. Once the burial ceremony was completed, it was
not important what happens to the body. Offerings were also found laid down between the
skeletons during excavation or digging of new graves. They believed that transition into the

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afterlife needed a rite of passage that involved burial and after that, the soul departed, and the
body was of no use (Konoye, 1991).
Excavators notified that there were no sumptuous graves in the Indus valley like those
found in ancient Egypt. Only a few graves were found in the area thus showing that the most
common form of burial practiced was cremation of the dead (Rebay-Salisbury, 2012). The
graves in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had a specific arrangement. The bodies were laid on the
back with the head facing north and the legs facing south which according to the Indus religious
beliefs was associated with the land of the dead. They believed the land of the deceased was in
the north hence bodies were laid in the same direction (Williams, 2015). At Dholavira, graves
pointed east or northeast and had the same argument about the land after death. The use of
coffins, shroud or layer of coffins was believed to show concern of spiritual purity to the dead
since there existed a physical separation of the body from the ground of the living.
Burial with costumes had some significance in the beliefs of the people of Indus valley.
The excavators at Mohenjo Daro found a little mask of terra Cota that was made in a mold. Such
costumes were put on by individuals who had power in public narration or telling religious story.
It was believed that the dead would continue narrating in the next life hence they were buried
with such goods (Williams, 2015). Moreover, in a grave at Ropar, an individual was buried with
a dog which is believed to be the practice among the people of northern Neolithic. Burying of
two people near each grave meant that there was an afterlife. For example, DNA studies of the
remains of human beings show that women and children were buried near their mothers which
indicates the attachment between the mother and their children and the life they will still live
after death. Also, couples had their graves near each other to continue being family even after
death.

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The use of natural mortuary in burying the dead has been a practice of many communities
around the world including the Indus valley for centuries. The pros and cons of every type of
burial used vary depending on what the family of the deceased need. In the Indus valley, natural
burial was carried out through the use of wooden coffins and lowering the body into dug out
graves. The practice is becoming more fashionable in many parts of the world than other forms
of burial such as cremation and embalming. According to the Indus, burial was considered a
passage of rite where the body goes through the transition into the afterlife. The practice of
burying the dead helps to keep the remains of the dead to rest and return it into the ecosystem.
Clayden, Green, Hockey, and Powell (2010), claim that having natural mortuary lowers down
the cost used in preserving the body and building blocks for the display. Inclusively, many
people see the practice more efficient in helping to dispose of the body remains.
Even though cremation was used in the Indus valley, it was not environmentally friendly
since it left of the body remains such as bones and it lacked the carbon footprint (Harvig and
Lynnerup, 2013). It is believed that green burials helped the dead to find comfort in their body
by returning to the nature in which they came. Green burials help to protect land and also
become holy grounds that are respected by the family. In carrying out cremation to conserve the
body, it becomes more of cosmetic procedure than public health safeguard since with time the
chemicals used in the process will flush out of the arterial system. Therefore, green burials are
becoming more fashionable due to the reduced burial cost, a way of laying the body to rest, and
it conserves the natural environment (Naas, 2012).
The archeologists have employed the identity, myth and performance concepts in
determining and interpreting the form of burial used in the middle Stone Age periods (Appleby,
2010). In the Indus valley, it is believed that the transition to the afterlife is achieved through

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burial hence helped the archeologist to know that complete burials were carried out in the land.
Moreover, the myth of immortality resulted in a full funeral where the dead are buried with other
material goods. The concept of identity where the archeologist identifies the materials remains of
the dead was also vital in knowing the type of burial (Gilchrist, 2008). For example at the
Harappa cemetery, cremation burial was evident through the urns remains containing ash,
pottery, and bones and some houses in the Mohenjo Daro had pots made of human remains.
Fractional burials were interpreted by looking at the materials remains found in the grave
(Halsall, 1995). Availability of only part of the bone or missing bones indicated that the burial
was carried out after the exposure of the dead to animals and birds.
The paper has identified three forms of burials that were practiced in Indus valley, and
they include complete, fractional and post-cremation burials. Full funeral entailed burying of the
whole body together with other goods, and fractional burial involved burying of only part of the
body while post-cremation entailed burning of the body. The Indus had beliefs that influenced
their burial practices such as the existence of an afterlife. They buried their loved ones with
material possessions that they may use in their next life and also had a unique arrangement of the
graves. The green burial developed in most countries around the world because it is cost-
effective, it conserves the ecosystem and is the best way of letting the loved ones rest by taking
them back to nature. Archeologists have interpreted the medieval burials through the
identification of the material remains such as urn and use of myths believed by the people in
Indus valley. The paper has thus identified the forms of burial in Indus valley and how the beliefs
influenced each form of burial and the reasons behind the increased green burial.

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Reference
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