GS5-3

Importance of Motif and Style as Indicators of Social Identity: A Case Study From Ganeshwar, Rajasthan, India

Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, India

The Ganeshwar- Jodhpura chalcolithic culture is located in northeastern part of Rajasthan, India. It is a “collection of third millennium BCE settlements” bound together by shared cultural traits understood on the basis of stylistic similarities in material culture, production of copper tools, and geographic proximity to copper mines, i.e., Khetri region. This culture was first identified during the post-excavation research at Jodhpura and Ganeshwar in the 1960s. This culture has a peculiar style of ceramic design, which consists of various forms of incision, painting, and combinations of geometric designs. Though the geometric designs are repetitive, the representation shows an attempt by the culture to create an independent social identity, a diagnostic trait of the culture, and its use to create cultural boundaries. More so, the designs not only illustrate complex social organisation, but also demonstrates the complex cognition of the potter creating an independent identity. This is especially evident in the production of motifs in Ganeshwar pottery. Utilising these ancient markers the system of motif production and its execution can be understood. For example, the presence of thread marks on some sherds has been used to understand cognitive processes in the design and application. Based on this, various stages have been observed which has led to the making of the motif. This paper will discuss the technique, structure, and style of a complex array of decorative motifs on the Ganeshwar pottery that reflect the social identity of the Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture.