Archaeometry of Pyrotechnical Artefacts from the Harappan Site of Tigrana

Garima Singh1*, Narendra Parmar2

The development of pyrotechnology in protohistoric India has led to a paradigm shift in scientific analysis. The poster presents a reconstruction of the rural Harappan industrial settlement of Tigrana using refined archaeometric approaches using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) adhering to slag samples, and copper and faience artefacts collected from the site. This research demonstrates Tigrana's inhabitants appeared to have engaged in the production of copper and faience along with its glazing components. Archaeometric analysis has greatly aided in tracing the origins of the raw materials used in the site's craft production, and it helps trace elements contemporaneous to other civilisations dating back to 3000-1900 BCE. The research work also seeks to identify the social background of a potential rural industrial settlement within the context of all Harappan sites in the Indian subcontinent. The presented study will go into great detail about the spatial distribution of these artefacts. Through a scientific study, the poster aims to show how the pyrotechnological advancement of the Harappans contributed to the development of the Indus Valley civilisation.