Kulli culture

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Kulli culture is the modern name of a Bronze Age culture in southern Balochistan , which existed around the same time (around 2500 to 1900 BC) as the Indus culture and was closely related to it. It is named after the place Kulli in Kolwa, where Sir Aurel Stein discovered this culture.

The Kulli cultural complex has so far been little explored. So far there are hardly any Kulli places where extensive digging has taken place.

Settlements

Large city-like, apparently planned settlements are typical. Often they are tells . The preferred building material was stone. These range from rough, unprocessed blocks to neatly processed stones. The stone houses were built along straight streets. The largest city discovered so far is Murda Sang with an area of ​​around 35 hectares, in the vicinity of which there were also two mighty dams. The main branch of the economy was certainly arable farming, with the dams indicating a sophisticated irrigation system.

Burials

There is little evidence of funeral customs. At least 10 burials could be examined in Mehi. The burned bones were deposited in the urns, but also directly in the earth. In one case, six children's skulls were found above that of an adult. Ceramics were found as grave goods. There were clay figures and some copper objects.

Material culture

The ceramics and other objects of culture, such as small clay figures, are clearly related to the Indus culture. But there are local variants, especially of ceramics. Cattle figures have been found in large numbers in Kulli locations. The figures are 8 to 10 cm long and are usually depicted with a hump. So it's a zebus . They are usually painted with a striped pattern, which is probably purely decorative. In addition to the cattle figures, there were also numerous female figures, although they are less common than the cattle. The figures are usually rather simple and only reach up to the waist and stand there on a flat base. The face is roughly worked and almost looks like a caricature. They often wear rich jewelry, such as necklaces, but also bracelets. Numerous copper objects were also found in the Mehi cemetery, including a mirror with a woman as a handle. There are also two needles, a copper bracelet and a small copper bowl. An analysis of the shell showed that nickel was added to the copper.

At the moment, the question must remain whether the Kulli culture was a provincial variant of the Indus culture or whether it represents its own cultural complex. In any case, it can be assumed that there is intensive trade between the two cultures. Kulli pottery was also found in Umm an-Nar on the Arabian Peninsula and in Iran . Chlorite vessels , which were imported from today's Iran and were produced and traded by the Jiroft culture , also come from Mehi .

Seals were already in use in the Kulli culture.

The End

After the end of the Kulli culture shortly after 2000 BC In BC southern Balochistan was apparently uninhabited for a long time or at least only inhabited by a few people.

literature

  • Jyoti P. Guha: Seals and statuettes of Kulli, Zhob, Mohenjo Daro, and Harappa . Vir Publishing House, New Delhi 1967.
  • Stuart Piggot: Prehistoric India to 1000 b. C. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth 1950.
  • Gregory L. Possehl: Kulli. An exploration of ancient civilization in Asia (=  Centers of Civilization . Volume 1 ). Carolina Academic Press, Durham NC 1986, ISBN 0-89089-173-7 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Piggot: Prehistoric India. 1950, p. 97.
  2. ^ Piggot: Prehistoric India. 1950, p. 98.
  3. ^ Piggot: Prehistoric India. 1950, p. 106.
  4. ^ Piggot: Prehistoric India. 1950, pp. 107-109.
  5. ^ Piggot: Prehistoric India. 1950, pp. 111-113.