Under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Kenoyer, Mr. William Belcher will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will both conduct an ethnographic study in Pakistan and apply the results to the analysis and interpretation of fish remains recovered from Indus Valley archaeological sites. The Harappan civilization developed and flourished in the Indus Valley from ca 2,600 to 1,900 B.C. It represents one of the great achievements of the late prehistoric world. Developments there rank the region with ancient Egypt and the Near East as well as New World states such as the Inca and Aztec empires. However much less is known about the Harappans than their counterparts. Archaeological data shows that this civilization had a strong riverine component and that fish constituted a major part of the diet. However such faunal remains are difficult to interpret and Mr. Belcher hopes to develop approaches which will aid in this goal. To this end, he will study modern fishing practices in the same region. He will interview fisherman and watch them at work to determine when in the yearly cycle, how, and in what environments particular species are caught. He will also observe how they are butchered, preserved, transported and consumed. After they are discarded such faunal remains may undergo a number of destructive practices such as damage by domestic animals and Mr. Belcher will examine these as well. Finally he will apply the interpretative techniques he develops to a series of Harappan archaeological remains. Mr. Belcher's primary interest lies not in fish per se, but rather in the social and economic organization of the Harappan state. By examining this one class of data, he hopes to reconstruct the economic system through which they moved. Trade routes will be reconstructed and the degree of economic centralization determined. It may also be possible to examine such issues as status difference between and within sites. This research is important for several reasons. It will increase our understanding of how one of the great early civilizations of the Old World emerged. It will help to develop techniques of faunal analysis which will be useful in many archaeological contexts. Finally it will assist in the training of a promising young scientist.
