Excavation, collection and interpretation
Objects and their provenance
Compare Harappan seals and pottery with a Gandharan sculpture guide, keeping ancient context and later museum custody distinct.
4 entries · 8 min reading, calculated from article text
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Your reading goal
Record an object identifier, distinguish a findspot from a regional attribution, and separate the material examined from a catalogue or later interpretation.
- 01Collections · 2 min read
Harappan seals from Punjab: object research guide
An inspected Harappa excavation report and a precisely identified museum seal show how material, find context, object number and published comparisons belong together.
- 02Collections · 2 min read
Harappan pottery from Punjab: object research guide
Two independently authored excavation studies show how vessel labels, burial preservation and workshop evidence change the questions that can be asked of pottery from Harappa.
- 03History · 2 min read
Harappan seals and the undeciphered script
Compare actual seals and impressions while keeping visible signs, possible functions and unverified readings distinct.
- 04Collections · 2 min read
Gandharan sculpture provenance guide
Two identified Gandharan sculptures and a museum’s field definitions show why an ancient date, regional attribution, excavation context and collection history answer different questions.
A question to carry with you
Choose one claim from your reading. Identify its source and locator. What does that source directly establish, and what would need a second source?