Subject: [HM] Binary AND decimal weight system(s) from Indus Valley
From: Dinesh Maheshwari (dsm@cypress.com)
Date: Fri Feb 25 2000 - 23:01:18 EST
Dear HM listmembers,
Dr. J M Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin and Dr. RH Meadows,
Harvard University, co-directors of the HARP excavation project
of the Indus Valley sites, have discovered weights from the Indus
Valley sites which show that Harappa (an Indus valley city) had
a binary system for smaller weights and a decimal system for larger
weights. However Lothal (another major Indus Valley city ) seems
to have had a binary and a decimal series intermeshed even for
smaller weights.
Please refer to J M Kenoyer's web site for more information :
http://www.harappa.com/indus/21.html Weights,Harappa
Also refer to their news brief :
http://www.he.net/~archaeol/9909/newsbriefs/indus.html
Incidentally, I also found JM Keynoyer's short essay and slide
show - "Around the Indus in 90 Slides" in which he opposes the
Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT)(the sheet anchor for the "conservative
school" dating); what's better than hearing straight from the
horse's mouth.
Please refer to : http://www.harappa.com/indus/industext.html
It starts with a timeline starting from 6500BC.
The following is an excerpt on the weight system supposedly taken
from "1994-1998 Encyclopaedia Britannica" and is embedded within
the contents at http://sarasvati.simplenet.com/html/artefacts.htm
" The Harappans also employed regular
systems of weights and measures. An
early analysis of a fair number of
the well-formed chert cuboid weights
suggested that they followed a binary
system for the lower
denominations--1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
64--and a decimal system for the
larger weights--160, 200, 320, 640,
1,600, 3,200, 6,400, 8,000, and
12,800--with the unit of weight being
calculated as 0.8565 grams. However,
a more recent analysis, which
included additional weights from
Lothal, suggests a rather different
system, with weights belonging to two
series. In both series the underlying
principle was decimal, with each
decimal number multiplied and divided
by two, giving for the main series
ratios of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2,
5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500(?).
[1994-1998 Encyclopaedia Britannica]
"
The following is an excerpt on weight system etc. from-Agrawal, D.P. 1993.
Ecological Factors and the Harappan Civilisation in Harappan Civilization.
A Recent Perspective, (G.L. Possehl Ed.), pp 223-233. American Institute
of Indian Studies and Oxford ; IBH publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.
Interestingly, DP Agrawal also shows the similarity between Harappan
and Vedic/Hindu aspects but avoids the AIT debate by hypothesizing that
the later people borrowed/inherited these from the Harappans.
"The pasupata, yogisvara, trimukha aspects of the famous seals have
been identified as proto-Siva, or even proto-Mahisa.... and to me it
appears to be a strong evidence. The Nandi bull worship has to be
traced to the Harappans, and perhaps the sacredness of the cow too.
Some of the seals suggest animal sacrifice, so does the terracotta
cake from Kalibangam ... the Linga worship can only be traced to
the Harappans, even if the phallus like objects are few and some
scholars do not believe that the proto-Siva seal shows an ithyphallic
god. The importance of pipal (Ficus religiosa) swastika, and water
ablution in today?s religion can be traced back to the Harappan
preoccupation with water rituals (e.g., the Great Bath, the
associated water structures with the Kalibangan fire altars, the row
of bathing platforms at Lothal etc.) and the emphasis on the pipal
motif do suggest a continuity of the religious beliefs. The enigmatic
terracotta figures do suggest yoga like postures.... Even secular
objects like the typical Harappan house plan of a central courtyard
surrounded by rooms (it has been found by air-conditioning experts
to be best suited for Indian climate) seems to have continued from
the Harappan times. The binary system of weight of the Harappans
followed 1,2,4,8,16,32,64,.....12800, with fractions in one-third.
Till recently, the Indian 1 seer = 16 chattacks and 1 rupee = 16 annas
basically followed the same system. Even the Arthasastra?s angula of
17.86 millimetres seems to have been derived from the Harappan
measuring unit of 17.7 millimetres. What the present Indian culture
owes to the Indus Civilisation will perhaps never be known fully as
the intangible heritage that we got from the Harappans can never be
fully traced to its Harappan origins, unless one day one finds
long decipherable texts of the Harappans..." (Agrawal, op. cit.)"
Best Regards,
Dinesh
-- Dinesh Maheshwari Advanced Design Methods Cypress Semiconductor San Jose, CA, USA
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