07 - Do Vessel Forms Entail Functions? Understanding Vessel Functions through Residues in Harappan Cultural Settlements
Presenters
Ahana Ghosh, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, V.N. Prabhakar, Archaeological Sciences Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar; and Eleanora A. Reber, University of North Carolina
Abstract
This research probes the
relationship between vessel forms and functions through absorbed residues
adhered within the matrix from the excavated Harappan settlements of Karanpura
and Ropar, located in western and northwestern India. The primary approach toward
the study of the correspondence between vessel shapes and their exact utility
in Harappan culture had centered around typological, manufacturing, and
ethnographic perspectives until recently when a few scientific studies have
been undertaken to examine the dietary and cultural use of ceramics.
Because functional groups are
one of the significant parameters in sampling for residue analysis, this
research combines the preliminary results of residue analysis administered on
vessels from different functional groups from the Harappan habitational settlements
mentioned above. Hence, preliminary studies using compound-specific isotope
analysis were executed on distinct functional groups comprising incised ware
and perforated jars to understand their specialized utility within these
settlements. Theoretically, this research is grounded within the nuances of
“practicality” and “prestige” wherein the former explores how a vessel remains
adhered to its original function, and the latter investigates how the vessel
form and its concerned function get positioned within the social hierarchy. The
implication of scientific tools for evaluating the association between
product(s) and the vessel it was processed in is still in a primitive stage in
South Asian archaeology. Therefore, conventional ceramic studies should be
evaluated and elevated to include human actions concerning the adaptive
functioning of an ancient vessel.
AIA-2K