Seals of Harappan Civilization: List of Seals & Significance | UPSC Notes

The Indus Valley Civilization is the earliest known urban civilization that flourished on the banks of the river Indus in the second half of the third millennium BCE. Numerous sculptures, jewellery pieces, seals, potteries and so on have been excavated from these sites since 1921. These excavations reveal the Harappan civilisation's vivid imagination and artistic sensibilities. Archaeologists have unearthed numerous seals at Harappan sites, predominantly crafted from soft stone steatite. Some seals were also made of terracotta, gold, agate, chert, ivory, and faience. Typically, the Harappan seals were square-shaped with dimensions of 2X2. From the findings of various excavations conducted at the Harappan sites, it is also clear that the sculptors of the Indus Valley Civilization were masters at handling three-dimensional volumes. The Seals of the Harappan Civilization were one of their culture's remarkable and artistic creations. Around 3500 seals have been unearthed since 1921.

In this article on the Seals of Harappan Civilization, we shall discuss the nature and features of the seals of the Indus Valley Civilization. UPSC IAS aspirants should understand this topic well, as questions related to the art and architecture of the Harappan civilization are often asked in UPSC preliminary examinations.

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About the Seals of Harappan Civilization

In the Indus Valley civilization, stone seals were created and burnt for durability. These seals served commercial purposes, such as sealing jars and tagging sacks for trade. Many seals were found in the Indus Valley port city of Lothal. Harappan seals were discovered in Mesopotamia and Central Asia, indicating trade between civilizations. 

Seals from the Indus Valley civilization varied in size and shape, including triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles.

• Square-shaped seals were the most common in the Harappan civilization.
• Most Harappan seals were made of steatite, a soft stone found in river beds. Other materials like copper, terracotta, chert, faience, agate, gold, and ivory were used.
• Some seals were found on the bodies of the deceased, possibly used as amulets or necklaces.
• The seals had symbols or pictographic scripts on one side, often written from right to left or using a bidirectional style.
• Animal impressions were carved on the other side of the seals, featuring various animals like tigers, buffalos, elephants, and more.
• The typical Harappan seal was square-shaped with symbols at the top, an animal in the centre, and more symbols at the bottom.
• The Pashupati seal of Harappan civilization is the most famous Harappan seal, depicting a cross-legged deity called Pashupati, surrounded by animals like elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, buffalos, and antelopes.

Read the article on the Town Planning of Harappan Civilization!

List of Seals of Harappan Civilization

Some of the Seals of Harappan Civilization that have been unearthed so far are listed in the following table:

Read the article on the Major Sites of Indus valley Civilization!

Significance of the Seals of Harappan Civilization

The main purpose of the Harappan seals was for retail transactions. Some seals were carried as charms, resembling identity cards. Certain seals had a role in spiritual ceremonies and rituals, while others conveyed legendary tales. Most of the seals discovered in Harappa were used for sealing jars by pressing them into soft clay, creating clay labels for bags carrying goods to different places, and facilitating trade.

Sealings and seals of the Harappan civilization were employed to facilitate long-distance transportation. To secure goods, the mouth of the sacks was tied with string, and moist clay with one or more seals was applied on the knot, leaving an impression.

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