CULTURAL HISTORY OF PAKISTAN

Proto History/ I.V.C.

Dr. Maseeh Ullah

 Proto-history/IVC

 It is transitional phase between pre-history

and history. It starts in the beginning of metal
age (cooper and Bronze Age 4000-1000bc.
It’s can be divided into further two sub
category

 Chalcolithic age: combination of two words

Chalkos Copper and lithic means stone. it’s a
cooper age which start4000-3500Bc
 Bronza Age: started from 3500-1000Bc. Its
further divided into 3 Sub parts

 Early Bronz Age: it started 3500- 2600Bc.

Also called pre/early Harapan Culture/Period
 Mature Bronz age: started 26/2500-1700Bc.

Also called Mature Harrapan Phase

 Late Bronz Age: started 1700-1000Bc and

also called late Harrapan Phase/Culture.

 CHARACTERISTICS FEAATURES OF
PROTO HISTORY
 Town Planning
 Town planning of two types

 Acropolis: it was consist of public buildings,

temples houses of medical and houses of
higher class, great bath etc.

 Common Building: it contains the houses of

common peoples it is the age of urbanization
(city life), main street running in the town
which divided the whole town into two parts.
Laying-out of the city

The city has main-street which divided the city

into lower and upper parts and main-street
connected by side-street. size of main street
10met or 30 ft. wide and side line 12-13 ft.
grid pattern followed
 Fortification wall
 They fortified their cities for the purpose of
protection from enemies, flood, animals etc.
they provide bastions for the support of
fortification wall, bastions of two types,

 A) Circular, B) Square/ rectangular bastion.

 These Bastions use for security purpose

(Guarding) and made of bricks, external Bricks
of wall is usually made from burn bricks.
 Drainage system

 They have a very good drainage system they

provided drainage pipes to side streets & also
to main street, the drain pipes from side
street to main street which led to main
drainage pipe, drainage made of burn bricks
and covered and main hole were provided
 Writing system

 writing system is introduced in proto-history,

writing system of two types.
 a) Pictographic

 This is picture representation from these

pictures they can take the story or movement
 b) Ideographic

 The idea representation (sign etc.) it contains

that type of symbols, pictures, signs, etc.
from this they take the idea, about their living
style given also idea
 Religion

 in proto-history/IVC the religion was very

simple but with passage of time it become
more complex & they started worship of
different deities, sky worship, Aquatic, T.C.
Figurines concept of mother goddess were
also introduced.
 Trade and commerce

 Trade is basically of two types, I) Internal; this

trade within the country or within the cities &
External trade; this trade system link with
outer world some materials are below which
used in jewelry.
 Lapislazoli = mines of these in Badakshain
Afghanistan
 Carnelian (aqiq) = North Iran
 Shell = Coastal Areas
 Copper = mines of these in Rajasthan (India),

Khorasan in Iran
 Burial System

 Three types of burial system of Proto-history

 I) Inhumation

 Bury a person as a whole, it has further two

types
 a) Flex Burial: in this they buried their
dead bodies in seated position form/bent
form.
 b) In this they buried their body laying
parallel/strait as we buried our dead body
 II) Cremation

 in cremation they burnt their dead body

 III) Fractional

 In fraction they leaved their dead body in a

vast plan/open air area, where the birds and
animals ate their flesh then they buried the
remaining body parts (bones) etc.
 Grave goods

 They buried grave goods along with their

dead body because they were believer life
after death and these things will be needed
after death life.
 Urbanization

 urbanization or urbanism started from proto-

history, these people lived in small
communities & city state (before Harrapan
culture many cultures passed away Kot
dijean, Mehargarh, Baloch Village Culture).