Abstract
Mehrgarh is one of the earliest Neolithic sites in South Asia and serves as a key link between early food producers and the emerging symbolic cultures of later periods. While its material culture—pottery, figurines, and burial practices—is relatively well studied, the deeper symbolic and psychological dimensions remain underexplored. This paper employs semiotics, psychoanalysis, and anthropology to analyze Mehrgarh’s artifacts as vessels of the collective unconscious. By interpreting archaeological data through these lenses, the research identifies fertility, survival, and identity as core symbolic themes that shaped both the cognitive landscape of Mehrgarh’s inhabitants and the cultural evolution of the Indus Valley Civilization. Furthermore, this study reveals that Mehrgarh’s symbols persist in contemporary cultural practices in Balochistan, demonstrating an enduring continuity of meaning. By bridging archaeological interpretation with indigenous epistemologies, this research challenges the conventional boundaries of historical analysis, advocating for a more critical, interdisciplinary approach to cultural heritage studies. It underscores the role of semiotic memory and materiality in shaping collective identities, reaffirming the humanities’ significance in reimagining communities across time.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Archaeological Methodology, Symbolic Interpretation, South Asian Prehistory, Anthropological Frameworks, Cultural
