The enigma of the Banawali seals: commerce, religion or politics?

Among the many discoveries made at Indus Valley Civilization sites, the seals found at Banawali still raise some big questions. What were they used for? Did they represent commercial activities? Religious symbols? Or signs of political power? Let’s try to shed more light on this.

1. What is a seal?

A seal , in the Indus civilization, is a small stone plaque, often made of soapstone, engraved with symbols. It often contains:

• Animals (like bulls, elephants or unicorns),
• Signs written in the still undeciphered Indus script,
• Sometimes figures are seated or meditating.

These seals were probably used to mark something, perhaps clay or goods, like a stamp.

2. Banawali: an important site

Banawali is an Indus Valley Civilization city located in Haryana, India. It was located on the ancient bed of the Sarasvati River , a now-dry but once very important river. Excavations have revealed:

• Well-organized urban planning ,
• Houses with rooms reserved for storage ,
• And many engraved seals .

These seals are similar to those found in other cities such as Mohenjo-Daro or Harappa, but they also have particularities specific to Banawali.

3. The seal: a tool of trade?

One of the most widespread ideas is that these seals were used for trade . They would have allowed:

• To identify the owners of the goods,
• To mark products for transport or storage,
• To act as a signature .

This is supported by the fact that Indus-type seals have been found as far away as Mesopotamia , evidence of international trade.

4. A religious symbol?

Other researchers believe that some seals had religious value :

• Figures appear to be in a meditation or yoga position,
• Animals like the unicorn could be symbolic ,
• Some seals show ritual scenes , perhaps related to Soma or nature deities.

According to this idea, seals were not only used to mark, but also to convey spiritual ideas or to protect .

5. A tool of political power?

It is also possible that the seals had a political role :

• Some might represent chiefs , clans or important families ,
• The symbols could be badges of office ,
• They could mark authority or territory .

This would make the seal something like the ancient equivalent of a royal seal or official stamp .

6. A single answer?

The truth is, we don’t know exactly what these seals were used for. They probably had several uses at the same time:

• Practices (trade),
• Symbolic (religion),
• Officials (politics).

The Indus Valley Civilization remains a mystery, especially because its writing remains undeciphered . But each seal discovered at Banawali is a piece of the puzzle that brings us a step closer to the truth.

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