The City of Gods and Ancient Indus Craft Traditions

Hi again – it is Alessandro. I am currently writing from India, more specifically from Varanasi, an exceptional city in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India.

You might say, “Wait a second – there is no Indus settlement in Varanasi! What are you doing there?” The answer is simple: I am studying ceramic artefacts – of course! – at one of the largest universities of India and Asia. For a few months, I have been working at BHU, Banaras Hindu University, where archives of excavations undertaken by the Land, Water and Settlement project (see here) and TwoRains project (see here) are kept.

Sunset by the Ganges, Varanasi (5:15am)

In the first part of this blog post, I would like to introduce you to the fascinating location that is hosting me (the ‘City of Gods’); then, I will take you back to the Indus Civilisation, providing an overview of my work…