“The Harappans have taught us how to make beautiful, well-planned cities which are hygienic and the scientific construction methods introduced by them are followed not only in South Asia but all over the world,” said Vasant Shinde, archaeologist and former Vice-Chancellor of Deccan College Deemed University, Pune, and former founding Director General, NMHC, Lothal.
“The method they followed is called the English bond. This method was not known to the Europeans till the 14th century,” he said.
Mr. Shinde was delivering his inaugural address at the national seminar on “Civilization Continuity of Harappa” organised by the Centre of Excellence — Art & Culture, Shri Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women. He pointed out that Harappans were considered the best civil engineers. He compared the Harappan civilization with Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. He said the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations followed the system of monarchy while Harappans had a democratic setup.
Ramadevi Sekhar, Director, Centre of Excellence — Art & Culture, Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Shri Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women, mentioned that the seminar seeks to celebrate the centenary of the Harappan excavation. She said there would be discussions on the unique urban planning and architecture of Harappan civilization and case studies showcasing the continuity of Harappan symbols and motifs in modern art and design.
The two-day seminar will have discussions on scientific methodologies used to analyse Harappan remains including DNA studies and isotopic analyses.