“Then you don’t think Mohenjo-Daro was destroyed by overlords?” Cassie asked.
Griffin paused to consider the question. “By the time the Aryans first appeared in this region, Mohenjo-Daro was already in steep decline. It’s very likely the interlopers massacred the remaining inhabitants since there’s at least one mass grave proving a small-scale conflict occurred here. Then they would have exploited the scant resources which remained and probably became squatters in the city without having any idea how to repair or maintain it. However, I don’t believe they contributed in any material way to the end of the civilization.”
“It’s a pretty safe bet that they took credit for a lot of the inventions developed by the IVC though,” Erik noted.
“Sadly, that’s quite true,” Griffin concurred. “The Aryans appropriated the skills, technology and even some religious traditions of this older culture and claimed them as their own. Their ancient texts would lead one to believe that the newcomers civilized the backward tribes inhabiting the area. However, we are quite sure that the IVC was not developed by overlords.”
“How do you know that?” the pythia asked.
“There is one interesting omission in their artwork which makes the strongest case. IVC seal-amulets portray a variety of animals indigenous to this region. Bulls and elephants feature prominently, but there are no horses. Terra cotta figurines depict wagons drawn only by oxen.”
“Why’s that so important?”
“Because overlord culture is synonymous with the domesticated horse,” Griffin replied. “Find one, and you invariably find the other. The horse played a huge role not only in the physical migration of the steppe tribes but in their artwork and ideology as well. It stands to reason that if the people who created stamp-seal art in Mohenjo-Daro were Aryan, they would have displayed horses everywhere.
“Aside from the horse, we have one other important clue to the identity of the builders of the IVC. They developed a written script consisting of over four hundred symbols. It remains undeciphered to this day because it is not an Indo-European language. Its closest extant relative may be Old Tamil which is a Dravidian tongue. Modern Tamil is still spoken by the population that inhabits the southern tip of India.”
“Dravidians were indigenous?” Cassie asked.
“Not precisely, but they certainly migrated to India thousands of years before the Aryans did. The timing of their arrival is currently being disputed. Some believe they migrated out of Africa sixty thousand years ago and settled throughout the country. Most Dravidian tribes today are clustered at the southern end of India, but that is hardly a surprise if the IVC inhabitants left to seek a better climate or were driven out. We know that Dravidians once lived in this area because there is a tribe still residing west of the Indus which speaks a Dravidian dialect. Even if we assume the Dravidians arrived more recently than sixty thousand years ago, they would certainly have been present when the IVC was in its infancy.”
“That makes the Aryans the new kids on the block,” Cassie remarked.
“Not to hear them tell it,” Erik retorted. “One of the few facts I remember about Indian history is that the oldest Hindu texts were all written in Sanskrit. That’s an overlord language. Because the Aryans got to tell the story, they took credit for everything.”
“It’s important to remember that the scriptures and epic poetry of the Vedas weren’t set down in writing until long after the Aryans had claimed India for themselves,” Griffin interjected. “The debate rages on even now as to how much Hindu culture is the result of overlord influence and how much is the result of the IVC. It’s easy to see that the caste system originated with the Aryans as did the subjugation of women. However, other familiar Hindu traditions may have been handed down by the IVC. For instance, one of the stamp-seals found at Mohenjo-Daro shows a man sitting in a yoga meditation pose. Some have argued that this is a proto-Shiva figure which means both yoga and a major Hindu deity did not originate with Aryans. There’s also the Hindu practice of ritual purification baths. We have the Great Bath right here which was used in religious ceremonies. Because overlords were never known for their commitment to personal hygiene, we can safely assume that ritual bathing came directly from the IVC.”
Cassie chuckled at the comment.
They lapsed into silence for a few moments.
Erik glanced upward, apparently noting the distance the sun had climbed since they’d begun their inspection of the site. “I don’t want to be a buzz kill, but maybe we should get a move on,” he urged. “We need to search miles of ruins, and we’re burning daylight—accent on the word ‘burning.’”
“Right you are.” Griffin stood and dusted off his trousers. “Ordinarily, I’d propose that we split up but given how much of Mohenjo-Daro is still underground, it might make more sense to follow Cassie and see if she senses anything Minoan.”
“Great. I get to play bloodhound for a day,” Cassie said ruefully.
“Just be happy we’re not putting you on a leash,” Erik joked.
***
The sun was hovering low in the sky when the dejected trio dragged themselves back up the path leading to the guest house. They had covered every street on the citadel mound and in the lower town. They had peered into every dwelling, stared down every drain and leaned over every well without finding a single clue. Now footsore, sunburned, and dehydrated, they were even too tired to converse, each one sunk into private thought.
Unexpectedly, a ringing sound interrupted their collective stupor.
“Where’s that coming from?” Cassie asked, startled.
Erik reached into his pocket to check his phone. “It’s not me,” he protested. “I didn’t even think we could get a signal out here.”
“What on earth.” Griffin was staring at his cell phone in wonder. “Hello?”
There was a long
