The Indus Script and Harappan Seal Corpus (c. 2600–1900 BCE)

1. Proto-writing marks precede Indus script

   Jan 1, 4500 BCELabels: Pottery marks, Pre-Indus symbols

   • Britannica

2. Ravi phase precursors to later signs

   Jan 1, 3900 BCELabels: Ravi phase, Harappa

   • Britannica

3. Kot Diji phase: seals adopt emerging signs

   Jan 1, 2800 BCELabels: Kot Diji, Seals

   • Britannica
   • Harappa

4. Indus script fully emerges with urbanism

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Indus script, Mature Harappan

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

5. Square stamp seals become administrative standard

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Square stamp, Steatite seals

   • Britannica
   • British Museum

6. Short inscriptions dominate Harappan texts

   Jan 1, 2500 BCELabels: Inscription corpus, Short texts

   • Britannica
   • Harappa

7. Standardization of signs during Mature Harappan

   Jan 1, 2300 BCELabels: Sign standardization, Mature Harappan

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

8. Indus seals travel through Gulf–Mesopotamia trade

   Jan 1, 2100 BCELabels: Trade networks, Gulf Mesopotamia

   • British Museum
   • Britannica

9. Mature Harappan horizon ends; script use declines

   Jan 1, 1900 BCELabels: Post-Urban period, Late Harappan

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

10. First modern excavations at Harappa

    Jan 1, 1921Labels: Harappa excavations, Archaeological Survey

    • Harappa

11. Marshall publicizes Indus civilization discovery

    Sep 20, 1924Labels: John Marshall, Discovery announcement

    • Harappa

12. Mahadevan publishes major sign concordance

    Jan 1, 1977Labels: I Mahadevan, Sign concordance

    • NLA
    • WorldCat

13. Parpola team issues expanded seal corpus (Vol. 3.1)

    Jan 1, 2010Labels: Parpola corpus, Seal catalog

    • Harappa