Archaeological studies show that Harappan people had dispersed to different parts of the country but how this dispersal had occurred and genetic mixture between them and the prevailing regional cultures is not known. Both the growth and decline of the Harappan civilisation has been gradual from about 6000 BC to 2600 BC and around 2500 BC they have turned urban, says CSIR- CCMB Bhatnagar Fellow Vasant Shinde.
But after 1900 BC, their decline began and continued till 1300 BC. "We have archaeological evidence to show that the early settlements were very small and entirely dependent on agriculture. Later, they developed arts and crafts. There is evidence of urban development of settlement at the same place. Many regional culture populations too sprung up and flourished around 2,000 BC and their interaction with the Harappans is evident in the archaeological finds of pottery, jewellery, tools and terracotta art, among others, but we have no idea about the genetic relations between these two groups since the Harappans continued up to 1300 BC," says the archaeologist.
A major difference between the Harappans and the regional cultures is that while the former buried their dead one kilometre away from the habitations in a separate cemetery, the latter did it within the courtyard or within their homes! Bodies were clothed and with ornaments but no mummification was done like the Egyptians. "Clothes have disappeared with time yet the bones remain. The precious source of DNA is from the Petrous bone under the jaw which can be extracted with a syringe making a tiny hole," says Mr. Shinde.
