Beefurb at 05:56, 12 March 2026

2026-03-12T05:56:21Z

New page

{{Short description|4th and 3rd millennia BC Pakistani culture}}
{{Infobox archaeological culture
| name =Amri–Nal
| map =
| mapcaption =
| mapalt =
| altnames =
| race =
| religion =
| language =
| horizon =
| region =[[Sindh]] and [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]], [[Pakistan]]
| period =
| dates =5000-3000 BCE
| typesite =
| majorsites =[[Amri, Sindh|Amri]], [[Sohr Damb]] area in [[Naal, Balochistan]]
| extra =
| precededby =
| followedby =
| collapse =
| definedby =
| antiquatedby =
| module =
}}
'''Amri–Nal culture''' is attributed to archaeological sites in [[Sindh]] and [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] provinces of [[Pakistan]]. It flourished in the 4th and 3rd millennia BC. The dual [[typesite]]s are [[Amri, Sindh|Amri]] and [[Sohr Damb]] area in [[Naal, Balochistan]].

==Location==

Several settlements attributed to the Amri culture have been discovered, mainly in lower [[Sindh]]. They are often distributed along the terraces of old and active river courses and consist of sites of different size and shape, which are sometimes stratified below settlements of later periods. Among these, that of the [[Tharro Hills]], near the town of [[Gujo]] (in [[Thatta District|Thatta district]]), is one of the most famous of lower Sindh.

==Cultural context ==
{{see also | Archaeological culture | Chronological dating | l2= Archaeological cultural dating | Phase (archaeology) | l3= Phases in archaeology | Pottery_in_the_Indian_subcontinent#Signifiance | l4= Tools and technology of archaeology | Pottery in the Indian subcontinent | l5= Pottery culture in Indian subcontinent }}

[[Kot Diji]] and Amri are close to each other in Sindh. They earlier developed indigenous culture which had common elements, later they came in contact with Harappan culture and fully developed into mature phase of [[Indus Valley Civilisation]].<ref name=dd1>Charles Keith Maisels, [https://books.google.com/books?id=I2dgI2ijww8C&pg=PA216 ''Early Civilizations of the Old World: The Formative Histories of Egypt, The Levant, Mesopotamia, India and China.''] Routledge, 2003 {{ISBN|1134837305}}</ref><ref name="Higham2009">{{cite book|first=Charles |last=Higham|title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=H1c1UIEVH9gC|page=9}}|date=1 January 2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-0996-1|pages=9–}}</ref><ref name=dd2>Sigfried J. de Laet, Ahmad Hasan Dani, eds. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BnY0KYbJC6wC&pg=PA674 ''History of Humanity: From the third millennium to the seventh century B.C.''] UNESCO, 1996 {{ISBN|9231028111}} p.674</ref><ref name=tej1>Tejas Garge (2010), [http://www.ancient-asia-journal.com/articles/10.5334/aa.10203/ Sothi-Siswal Ceramic Assemblage: A Reappraisal.] Ancient Asia. 2, pp.15–40. {{doi|10.5334/aa.10203|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Amri-Nal cultural artifacts==
{{see also | Pottery#Archaeology | l1= Archaeological analysis of pottery | Pottery#Fabric | l2= Fabric analysis of pottery }}

''Amri-Nal culture'': Based on the [[pottery]] found here, it is classified as a separate archaeological culture / subculture.<ref name=dis1>[https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/state-editions/the-harappan-civilisation-its-sub-cultures.html The Harappan Civilisation: Its Sub-cultures], Daily Pioneer, 10 May 2018.</ref>

The Amri culture is a characteristic Chalcolithic cultural aspect of Lower Sindh. It does not exist in Balochistan and also in the Las Bela province where, in contrast, are known many sites of the Nal culture. Unfortunately both these two cultural aspects are very insufficiently radiocarbon dated, though we suggest that they flourished around the middle of the fourth millennium cal BC. Amri is a stratified mound located in Upper Sindh, along the right (western) bank of the Indus. The Amri sequence is quite thick here, suggesting that the site was settled for a few centuries.

The Amri culture fine ware is light [[buff (color)|buff]] with linear geometric motifs painted in dark brown and black, while the coarse one, though not so coarse at all, is slipped in red (see Casal 1964). The knapped stone assemblage is also very typical and does not find parallels in that of the following early Bronze Age Kot Diji aspect. It is characterised by a blade assemblage, with implements detached by pressute flaking, with semi-abrupt retouch. The most typical tool is a triangle retouched along three sides, otherwise called "Amri Triangle" (see Biagi 2005). There are many sites of this cultural aspect in Sindh. The late Professor A.R. Khan discovered many, that are systematically weathered and very often fortified, like the Tharro Hills or Kot Raja Manjera (see Khan 1979)

==See also==

* [[Indus Valley civilization]]
* [[List of Indus Valley civilization sites]]
** [[Bhirrana]], 4 phases of IVC with earliest dated to 8th-7th millennium BCE
** [[Harappa]]
** [[Kalibanga]], an IVC town and fort with several phases starting from Early harappan phase
** [[Kunal, Haryana]] pre harappan cultural ancestor of [[Rehman Dheri]]
** [[Mohenjo-daro|Mohenjo Daro]]
** [[Rakhigarhi]], one of the largest IVC city with 4 phases of IVC with earliest dated to 8th-7th millennium BCE
* [[List of inventions and discoveries of the Indus Valley civilization]]
** [[Hydraulic engineering of the Indus Valley civilization]]
** [[Sanitation of the Indus Valley civilisation]]
* [[Periodisation of the Indus Valley civilisation]]
* [[Pottery in the Indian subcontinent]]

==References==
* Casal J.-M. 1964 - Fouilles d'Amri. Klincksieck, Paris (2 volumes)
* Biagi P. - The chipped stone assemblage of the Tharro Hills (Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan): a preliminary typological analysis. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche, Supplemento 1: 553–566. Florence
* Khan A. R. 1979 - Studies in Geomorphology and Prehistory of Sind. Grassroots III (2), Special Issue. Jamshoro, University of Sind, Pakistan Studies Centre.
{{reflist}}

{{Indus Valley civilization}}
{{Tourism in India}}
{{Haryana}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Indus Valley Civilisation sites]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Amri-Nal culture]]

Amri-Nal culture - Revision history

Beefurb at 05:56, 12 March 2026