The Early Indian

This was the book that compelled me to start this blog, it took a while to put my thoughts together on this. Read it twice over.

For those interested, this book provides a comprehensive framework of the human migration into India 60,000 years ago, give or take. And then allows for the flexibility for detailed information to fit in. New technology and newer ways of evidence-gathering is adding data that is impossible to keep up, leaving a sane author no choice but to say, as of now.

So as of now, like many frameworks in this field, the 'mota mota' has been validated a thousand times over, the 'chota chota' is still a squabble. Like there are two sides to the vedas debate - was it already here, part of the harappan civilisation or did they (Aryans, not the hitler kind) bring it here. If you ask me and Tony Joseph, they brought it here. There is a shit ton of evidence, ancient DNA analysis, uni-parental analysis, whole genome data and archeological evidence to back it up, as of now.

For me, this book was all about the Harappans, a fascinating ancestor, of mine (yet to confirm). For instance, 1. Their script has still not been decoded. 2. You do not find a difference between the types of dwellings, like say for a king or a god. 3. They buried their dead with some food, were clear, unlike the Mesopotamians (similar timeline) buried everything with their kings. 4. Their imagery never depicted conflict between humans and there is no evidence of any kind of weapons. 5. Brilliant plumbing (only ones to have these arrangements for visiting traders) and water reservoirs. 6. Traded ideas, influences, motifs, hairstyles etc. Unicorns were a popular symbol. 7. Their size was 1/3rd of today's India and they managed without conflict. These are a people I would like to know more about.

And if you want to visit, Dholavira near Ahmedabad is the place to go. 

Despite the multitude of fields that have culminated to map our pre-history (history that was not written by humans :) nice no?), Joseph's book is simple and easy to follow.

Finally, made a list of all the places were there was evidence of ancient humans, we are modern humans - Bhimbetka, Attirampakkam, Hungsgi-Baichbal valley, Shivalik hills, Jwalapuram and more. A trip for sure, before 2025.