UPSC Articles
Traces of Dairy Production found in Indus Valley Civilisation
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Ancient history
In news
- Recently, a study by Indian and Canadian archaeologists has found that dairy products were being produced by the Harappans as far back as 2500 BCE.
Key takeaways
- The finding reveals the earliest evidence of dairy production.
- The results are based on molecular chemical analysis of residue of pottery found at Kotada Bhadli, in Gujarat.
- The researchers were able to identify that cattles were used for dairy through a process called stable isotope analysis.
Important value additions
Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)
- It is also known as Harappan Civilization.
- It marks the beginning of Indian history.
- It flourished around 2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia, in contemporary Pakistan and Western India.
- In the 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India carried out excavations in the Indus valley wherein the ruins of the two old cities, viz. Mohenjodaro and Harappa were unearthed.
- In 1924, John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI, announced the discovery of a new civilisation in the Indus valley to the world.
