Harappan religion
E655211
Harappan religion refers to the largely undeciphered belief system of the Indus Valley Civilization, inferred from archaeological remains such as seals, figurines, and urban layouts that suggest early forms of ritual practice, fertility cults, and proto-Shiva worship.
Statements (64)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
ancient religion
ⓘ
archaeologically inferred belief system ⓘ |
| associatedStructure |
Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
fire altars at Kalibangan ⓘ platforms interpreted as altars ⓘ |
| associatedWith | Indus Valley Civilization NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWithPractice |
amulet use
ⓘ
apotropaic symbols ⓘ possible sacred prostitution debate ⓘ |
| burialCustom |
extended inhumation
ⓘ
grave goods inclusion ⓘ secondary burials ⓘ |
| certaintyLevel | highly speculative ⓘ |
| continuityDebate |
possible influence on Shaivism
ⓘ
possible influence on fertility cult traditions ⓘ possible links to later Hinduism ⓘ |
| evidenceType |
archaeological remains
ⓘ
burial practices ⓘ fire altars ⓘ ritual bathing structures ⓘ seals ⓘ stone sculptures ⓘ terracotta figurines ⓘ urban layouts ⓘ |
| flourishedIn |
3rd millennium BCE
ⓘ
Bronze Age NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasCenter |
Dholavira
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Harappa NERFINISHED ⓘ Kalibangan NERFINISHED ⓘ Lothal NERFINISHED ⓘ Mohenjo-daro NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasDeityHypothesis |
animal-associated deities
ⓘ
horned deity ⓘ mother goddess ⓘ proto-Shiva figure ⓘ tree spirits or sacred trees ⓘ |
| hasRitualPractice |
animal sacrifice debate
ⓘ
fire rituals ⓘ offerings in pits or altars ⓘ possible fertility cults ⓘ ritual bathing ⓘ |
| iconographicMotif |
bull motif
ⓘ
composite animals ⓘ elephant motif ⓘ pashupati seal motif ⓘ pipal tree ⓘ swastika symbol ⓘ tiger motif ⓘ unicorn motif ⓘ worship scenes ⓘ |
| knowledgeBasis |
archaeological context analysis
ⓘ
comparative religion studies ⓘ iconographic interpretation ⓘ |
| practicedInRegion |
Indus River valley
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
northwestern South Asia ⓘ |
| researchField |
Indology
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
South Asian archaeology NERFINISHED ⓘ history of religions ⓘ |
| scholarlyConsensus | details remain unknown ⓘ |
| scriptStatus | undeciphered ⓘ |
| textualSources | none surviving or deciphered ⓘ |
| worshipPlaceHypothesis |
household shrines
ⓘ
public ritual platforms ⓘ water-related sanctuaries ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.