Early Indian Jewellery

Summary

The article surveys archaeological evidence for early Indian jewellery from the Neolithic through the Chalcolithic age. It begins with unpolished stone beads and thin silver laminae from Neolithic sites such as Gungeria in Central India, arguing that these finds show an early understanding of ornament manufacture. The author then traces the emergence of a true jewellery tradition in the Indus Valley civilisation. Hoards of beads, necklaces and bangles from sites like Mohenjo‑daro and Harappa demonstrate advanced craftsmanship and artistic sensibility. At Mohenjo‑daro, archaeologists have identified multiple occupation layers, with large hoards of jewellery from the later phase. Harappa, continuously occupied over centuries, has yielded fewer ornaments but some pieces of exceptional merit. The article also discusses evidence from Chanhu‑daro, where large numbers of stone beads indicate a specialised bead‑making industry whose products may have been exported to other parts of India and Mesopotamia. Comparing Indian practices with those in Egypt and Mesopotamia, the author notes that Indian burial customs—chiefly cremation—mean that jewellery is rarely found in graves, so hoards and stray finds are critical. The article concludes that despite fragmentary evidence, early Indian ornaments exhibit technical sophistication and suggest cultural contacts between the Indus civilisation and neighbouring regions.