Additional data on trauma at Harappa

Area of Science:

• Bioarchaeology
• Paleopathology
• Indus Valley Civilization Studies

Background:

• Cemetery R37 at Harappa, Pakistan, is the type-site for the Indus Valley Civilization.
• Previous research (Schug et al., 2012) documented violence-related craniofacial trauma in individuals from this site.
• Unpublished skeletal trauma data from Cemetery R37 offer an opportunity to expand upon existing knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report previously unpublished details of skeletal trauma from adult individuals excavated at Harappa.
• To provide additional insight into the patterns of trauma and interpersonal violence at the Indus Valley Civilization site.
• To evaluate how these new findings relate to previous conclusions about violence at Harappa.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of skeletal remains from Cemetery R37, Harappa, excavated in 1987-1988.
• Identification and recording of trauma lesions on adult skeletons from both primary and secondary contexts.
• Comparison of observed trauma patterns with previously published data on Indus Valley Civilization violence.

Main Results:

• Trauma lesions were identified in 6 of 19 complete skeletons from primary contexts.
• Additional lesions were found on four individuals from secondary contexts.
• The newly reported lesions, affecting various body parts in males and females, neither confirm nor refute claims of sex-specific violence but suggest social differentiation.

Conclusions:

• The reported skeletal trauma provides further data on violence at the Indus Valley Civilization site of Harappa.
• While females incurred significant injuries, the findings do not exclusively support the hypothesis of violence being directed towards females.
• The low frequency of trauma in the high-status Cemetery R37 may support the idea that violence was socially differentiated at Harappa.