Harappan bricks
Also called: Standardised brick ratio · Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Bricks, Beads and Bones"
Meaning
Harappan bricks were made in one standard shape across the whole civilisation. They could be sun-dried or baked. The length was four times the height, and the breadth was twice the height. This is a ratio of 4:2:1. The same ratio was used from Jammu to Gujarat, during the Mature Harappan phase (c. 2600–1900 BCE).
Example
The bricks were not made at one central factory. Each settlement made its own bricks, yet all of them kept the 4:2:1 ratio. Historians use this sameness, along with similar seals, weights and pottery, to argue that some strong authority may have set common rules. Some even argue for a single Harappan state.
Don't confuse with
- Harappan weights: The weights were also standardised, but they were cubes of chert stone. Smaller weights went up in doubles (1, 2, 4, 8…), and larger ones in a decimal pattern (160, 200, 320…). The 4:2:1 rule applies only to bricks.
Related concepts
- Harappan town planning
- Citadel
- Lower Town
- Upper town and lower town
- Harappan domestic architecture
- Harappan drainage system
- Mohenjo-daro
- Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro
- Warehouse of Mohenjo-daro
- Dholavira reservoirs