Tracking social differences

Were all Harappans equal? Archaeologists look for social differences in two places: burials and artefacts.

Burials. The dead were laid in pits, some lined with bricks. Some graves have pottery and ornaments, and jewellery has been found in the burials of both men and women. But on the whole, the Harappans did not bury precious things with the dead, unlike the Egyptian pharaohs in their pyramids.

Artefacts. These are sorted into two kinds:

• Utilitarian objects: things for everyday use, made of ordinary materials like stone or clay, and found everywhere: querns (grinding stones), pottery, needles.
• Luxuries: rare objects, made of costly or non-local materials, or with complicated technology: for example, little pots of faience (made from ground sand or silica, mixed with colour and a gum, and then fired).

Luxuries are found mostly in the big cities, Mohenjodaro and Harappa. All the gold jewellery found so far has come from hoards (hidden stores). Rare things show who had more.