Sealings, Tokens and Administrative Practices in the Mature Harappan (c. 2600–1900 BCE)

1. Kot Diji phase precedes Mature Harappan administration

   Jan 1, 2800 BCELabels: Kot Diji

   • Britannica
   • Harappa Q A

2. Mature Harappan integration and standardization begins

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Mature Harappan

   • Britannica
   • IVC overview

3. Indus script fully emerges on seals

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Indus script

   • Britannica
   • Harappa Q A

4. Steatite stamp seals become key identity tools

   Jan 1, 2550 BCELabels: Steatite seals

   • Britannica
   • IVC overview

5. Binary weight system supports standardized accounting

   Jan 1, 2500 BCELabels: Binary weights

   • Harappa weights
   • IVC overview

6. Clay sealings attest controlled storage and access

   Jan 1, 2450 BCELabels: Clay sealings

   • Harappa sealings
   • Frenez paper

7. Lothal “clay seal archive” formed in warehouse context

   Jan 1, 2400 BCELabels: Lothal

   • Rao 1985
   • Frenez paper

8. Multi-seal protocols indicate shared administrative responsibility

   Jan 1, 2350 BCELabels: Multi-seal protocol

   • Harappa sealings
   • Frenez paper

9. Dholavira public signboard displays large Indus symbols

   Jan 1, 2300 BCELabels: Dholavira

   • Harappa Dholavira
   • Dholavira

10. Indus seal impression appears in Mesopotamia (Umma)

    Jan 1, 2100 BCELabels: Umma

    • Harappa Umma

11. Harappan seals outnumber sealings in archaeological record

    Jan 1, 2050 BCELabels: Seals vs

    • Harappa Umma
    • Mirrored signs

12. End of Mature Harappan phase and administrative transition

    Jan 1, 1900 BCELabels: Post-1900 BCE

    • IVC overview
    • Jhukar phase