--- In cybalist@..., x99lynx@... wrote:> The problem with Khan's
and all the other indigenous origin theories, of > course, is that
they start at dates that make it seem like history started
> with "urbanization." Just look at the dates Khan quotes (3500-
2900BC). And > notice we are still talking about "Indus
civilization" 80 years after Gordon > Childe, but we don't really use
the word any more in connection with even > Egypt or Mesopotamia,
much less Europe.
Excellent point.
There have been many remarkable archaeological finds since Gordon
Childe which certainly question the early perceptions of
Indus 'civilization'.
Out of over 2,600 archaeological sites of this 'civilization', over
2,000 are NOT on the Sindhu but on the banks of River Sarasvati (cf.
Possehl, 2000, Indus Age, The Beginnings). The discoveries at Harappa
in Feb. 1999 take the 'writing' back to ca. 3300 BCE and Kenoyer maps
the links fanning out of the Sarasvati basin (J.M. Kenoyer, 1999,
Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley -- with particular reference to
the New York exhibition). Archaeologists are now inclined to
synthesise an autochthonous (indigenous, locally-evolved) progression
from neo-lithic through chalco-lithic through bronze ages before
using the term, 'civilization' to those areas where 'writing' was
found. Muhly, archaeo-metallurgist, links the invention of 'writing'
to the imperatives bronze age trade, governed by the key discovery of
tin deposits and trade routes for copper and tin across the Persian
Gulf (Dilmun, Magan, Meluhha).
It is in this context that the precursor of Sarasvati River Basin
residents have to be found in the Gulf of Khambat Cultural Complex,
yes, the kompat., munda country close to Mahis.mati of the River
Narmada and linked with Bhr.gu (also called Varun.i_) the sea-farers
of the early maritime, riverine cultures.
A more apt term may be Sarasvati Sindhu Cultures not too far in time
from PIE speakers with evidences of full-blown sentences (to help
linguistic -- semantic -- analysis) in many texts (both orally-
transmitted and in writing) listed by Vishal Agarwal in another post.