The Perforated Jar of Harappa is a remarkable artefact that offers insight into the cultural advancements of its time. A baffling yet fascinating discovery, it unveils another layer of mystery — this time related to an unusual aspect of diet culture. This terracotta jar, dating back to approximately 2500 BCE, was found in Harappa, Punjab, Pakistan. Measuring 15.9 cm in height and 6.9 cm in width, it is currently displayed at the National Museum in New Delhi, India.
The mouth of the perforated cylindrical jar is partially shattered, likely due to wear and tear over time. Its base is flat, with a single hole in the centre. Harappan pottery was predominantly made from fired clay, known for its durability and intricate designs. Typically adorned with black motifs over a vibrant crimson slip, these pottery pieces ranged from simple horizontal lines to complex geometric patterns, pictorial embellishments, and even perforations, showcasing the artistic and technical sophistication of the Harappan civilisation.
Dr. J.M. Kenoyer, one of the world’s foremost experts on the ancient Indus civilisation and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been excavating at Harappa since 1986. In his well-known book Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation, he writes “this shape of perforated jar may have been used as a strainer at the end of a hollow straw, similar to those used in Mesopotamia for drilling beer from a large jar filled with some kind of mash. Larger perforated jars at Harappa and other sites were set inside jars, possibly for making beer or for processing milk to make cheese. Wheel thrown and holes punched through from the outside.”
Further research of Dr. Kenoyer suggests that the perforated cylindrical jar maybe wrapped in cloth and used as a strainer for the fermentation of liquids. "These vessels have been discovered with burial offerings in the Harappan cemetery, where they are vertically inside big open-mouthed vessels most likely filled with fermenting mash, most likely barley." The many openings in the cloth on the outside would let the liquor strain through and gather in the central hollow space, then be expelled using long straws or a dipper.
While investigations of the sediments within these perforated vessels have not revealed the type of beverage being brewed, Dr. Kenoyer notes that continuous research of the porous pottery itself may recover some remnants of organic components to assist identify the contents of the jar.
Dr. Akshyeta Narayanan is currently a Gerald Averay Wainwright Postdoctoral Fellow (2023–2026) at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, though she is based at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research in Cambridge. Her research focuses on archaeological vessel use, foodways and exchange networks, with a particular interest in the subsistence strategies and interaction networks of the Indus Valley Civilisation. While analysing a larger sample of perforated jar fragments, she has found evidence suggesting that these jars may have served multiple purposes.
Kalyan Sekhar Chakraborty et. al, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada in the recent study on analysis of one fragmentary perforated jar suggests possible use for dairy processing.
Archaeologists, especially those interested in early domestication, find tremendous fascination in the main and secondary consumption of domesticated animals. Based on data from the Aceramic Neolithic deposits at Mehrgarh, Chakraborty et. al. in their paper "Compound specific isotope analysis of lipid residues provides the earliest direct evidence of dairy product processing in South Asia" established that the earliest evidence of domestication in South Asia can be dated back to the seventh millennium BCE. Based on their combined research, they have sought to re-establish that most of the archaeological sites throughout north-western South Asia had domesticated animals like cow, water-buffalo, goat and sheep by the beginning of the fourth millennium BCE. Economies based on domesticated animals were prominent at the beginning of the third millennium BCE; archaeological evidence unequivocally shows that all four of these animals were of great importance in the Indus Valley Civilisation, and that specialised animal husbandry had evolved into one of the main industries.
Other recent studies addressing the interrelationships between humans, animals, and plants seek to grasp the nature of plant and animal exploitation, how people engaged in these activities coped with changing environmental conditions and the socio-political dimensions of plant and animal exploitation.
While goats were mostly used for their meat and hides, over a hundred years of excavations at many sites throughout the Indus Valley Civilisation region suggest that cattle, water-buffalo, and most likely sheep were used for their meat and hides as well as for secondary products such dairy, wool, and labour. Although we know about dairy exploitation during the Indus Valley Civilisation in particular, and South Asia in general, our knowledge of labour-oriented exploitation of cattle and water-buffalo in particular, and traction-induced bone change is scant.
Without changing the size of a herd, the ability to exploit animal goods without the requirement of slaughter may have helped to acquire surpluses in secondary animal products that might be used for regional and interregional exchanges. Based on animal mortality patterns as well as artefactual evidence suggesting possible dairy use during the Indus Valley Civilisation, several recommendations of dairy intake have been proposed. But revelations of Perforated Jar of Harappa like others are one step ahead of possibilities of processing and consumption of dairy products in this ancient society.
Still, this discovery provides direct evidence of dairy consumption during the Indus era. Prior to this research, the only lipid residue analysis of Indus or Harappan vessels had been conducted on a perforated vessel from Nausharo. That study suggested these vessels were likely used for dairy processing based on a comparison of their fatty acid distribution with those of dairy from modern farm animals. However, the analytical method used in that study is now considered outdated and lacks definitive proof confirming the presence of dairy fats.
Although researchers are unsure about what these perforated jars used to hold, these can be connected with similar sort of jars used contemporaneously to keep food products which require to be aerated, for example, red chilies. Regarding cultural importance of such pottery is little complicated. Many Harappan-originating pots and jars have been found to have come from Mesopotamia, therefore underscoring the concept of commerce for Mesopotamia's goods.
Harappan pottery ranged from beautiful painted pieces to simple daily pots, generally of a thick strong clay. Although a few varieties were black, Harappan pots were mostly composed of plain reddish orange ware; painted specimens were ornamented in the opposite hue. A few early Mohenjo-Daro pots were greyish in colour; additional varieties are known from Gujarat, India, most likely derived from local pottery like Padri ware. Padri also known as Kerala-no-dhoro, belonging to the Indus Valley Civilisation, it is located on the southern coast of Kathiawar region. Dating from 3699-3792 B.C. known as Padri Culture or Early Harappan period a part of Sorath Harappan, Indus Valley culture.
Among the various types of pottery discovered in Harappan sites, household items exhibited some variation, while more specialised goods remained remarkably consistent. Simple pottery included medium-sized storage jars, typically with pointed bases designed to be embedded in the floor; round-based cooking pots with wide rims for easy handling over fire; and beakers and cups for drinking. More specialised items featured fine pedestaled dishes and bowls, likely used for offerings, as well as elegantly decorated S-profile jars. Skilled potters, possibly working exclusively at Harappa, also crafted large black-slipped storage containers, showcasing their advanced craftsmanship.
Particularly widespread in the later levels of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, other distinctive forms included pointed-based goblets, perforated jars perhaps used as sieves or braziers, and jar stands. Furthermore, employed with traditional Harappan ceramics in some locations were a few regional varieties, namely Sothi-Siswal wares in the eastern province and Sorath wares in Saurashtra, which had unique stud-handed bowls.
Many of the better vessels were painted; their covers were red slip. Although geometric designs were common in the early Mature Harappan period, painted designs sometimes contained plant and occasionally animal images, including peacocks or pipal leaves, as well as geometric patterns; later painted products typically carried just the latter. These comprised a unique fish scale pattern, several designs using intersecting circles, and hatched squares or triangles.
Arshad Awan is a Lahore based author, educationist, local historian, and brand strategist, and can be reached at arshadawan@msn.com
All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the author.