reply vivek ..

[Rajarshi Banerjee]

>>As for varta in "Aryavarta".. A region is defined by its boundary or
>perimeter(circle). Dont see why "varta" needs to be connected  to a wagon
>encampment. I would assume that "aryavarta" connotes a different context
>and scale than a travelling party of bullock carts. Maybe I am missing
>something.

JP> Certainly. For a starter, it is 'Avarta' and not 'varta'[ AryAvarta and
not
 "Aryavarta"]. I guess we have to read more [and relevantly] before we
assume a
 position.

RB> thanks for the correction and pointing out my dumb mistake but it does
not
detract from the point. An Avartan would refer to  and be along a boundary
which encircles the land. The notion of boundary and teritorry is quite
fundamental and does not need to start out with wagon trains. It can be an
indepedent concept.

SH> The evidence from the "mound culture" along the Mississipi River would
 seen to indicate otherwise.  The main settlement of Cahokia is
 estimated to have had a population of 20,000 + inhabitants with
 evidence of vast trading networks.  I  cannot imagine a city of 20,000
 that survived for several hundred years having been supported by
 merely "dabbling in agriculture".  The city is thought to have been
 abandoned around the C13th CE due to climatic change and agricultural
 over-exploitation and the inhabitants then reverted to simpler
 pastoral and nomadic lifestyle.

RB> I am making a broad generalisation when I say "dabble" ofcourse there
will be exceptions . I agree that dabble is not a term used in academic
journals. The cahokia settlement is on par with sumerian cities( some of
which had 40000 people ) and their trade networks. Such reversals of fortune
of cities founded on agriculture happened in the old world several times and
happened, before it took place in the new world. Its a question of attaining
critical mass.

Curious about what is meant by pastoral life style, were any animals
domesticated? huskies, pig like species.?

JP>
BTW.
 Rajarshi, IMHO you should use quotes (>).
 See your Posting 22462 of July 22.

Sorry as you can see I am not a specialist and have limited time to look up
and access refs. I quote from stray memory. Hope they are of marginal use
atleast. I am assuming that bukephala is only referred to in greek records
and not in indo/pak records.

regards RB