Sarasvati (texts & arch 1)

[S. Kalyanaraman]

---Michael Witzel <witzel at FAS.HARVARD.EDU> wrote:
[snip]Some of these fire > places are in a domestic and some in a
public context: the Kalibangan ones
> are seven (actually preserved only 4 or 5!) fire places, on a raised
> platform facing a brick wall;  a well and bath pavements nearby
suggest
> ceremonial(?) bathing.  [snip]
> However, none of this, including the brick-built bathing places,
fits any > Vedic ritual, neither that of the RV nor of the later
Srauta ritual.  [snip]
>
> It also does not fit the Vedic evidence that animal bones are found
in> some of the supposed fire altars.
>
> The Indus finds, therefore, do not represent Vedic ritual but local
> Harappan kitchen practices. Not every fire place is sacred and not
all> bones in fire places are offerings. What you want to see is what
you get.
>

Why kitchen? Away from religion, why not the workplace of, say, a
jeweller? (see Banawali evidence). The small 'bath' was perhaps
essential to store water used to cool off the embers. Bones have been
used in ancient metallurgy as reducing, 'oxidizing' agents for baser
metals in the ma_ks.ika_ or pyrite ores. (see the RV reference in the
context of soma.)

Prof. Witzel is right; we can get what we want to see.

Regards,
k.
==
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