Pots reveal Harappans boiled, fried food

Times of India ^ | October 7, 2024 | Parth Shastri

[SunkenCiv]

A study on earthen pots from more than 4,000 years ago sheds new light on dietary habits and cooking techniques during the Harappan era. It was conducted by a team of researchers... They examined residues discovered in black and red pottery from Surkotada, a Harappan site in Gujarat's Kutch district that was occupied for approximately 400 years...

The analysis of lipid residues (fatty compounds) indicated that during the early stages of the settlement, the inhabitants most probably employed both boiling and frying techniques to prepare their food... the team discovered skeletal remains outside the fortified region of the Harappan-era settlement. The skeleton was found in a fetal position, and it is thought that the burial might have occurred during an earlier phase of the town's existence. Near the skeleton, six bowls of large black and red ware were found — four near the head and two near the knee. These six bowls underwent lipid residue analysis...

The initial hypothesis suggests that the pots contained plant-based food and marine food, such as shellfish.

Previous archaeological studies conducted in Gujarat have provided a rich picture of the diet and culinary practices of the Harappans — they had different pots for storage and cooking and their diet comprised both plant-based and animalbased diet.

According to another paper, presented at the conference by G S Abhayan, remains of 21 distinct fish species belonging to 13 different families were discovered at various Harappan-era archaeological sites in Gujarat, including Bagasra, Kanmer, Shikarpur, Navinal and Kotada Bhadli. Abhayan noted that the presence of fish remains at several inland sites suggests the existence of a well-organised transportation system for this perishable food item. The diet of the Harappan people included both marine and freshwater fish species, he added.

[SunkenCiv]

The residues of Harappan-era ware indicated that inhabitants might have employed both boiling and frying techniques

Times of India

[SunkenCiv]

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“The Harappans boiled and fried food.”

So “who were the Harappans?” I asked myself. The article cleared it right up: “Surkotada, a Harappan site in Gujarat’s Kutch district.”

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[ckilmer]

Wasn’t this one of the early civilizations that were overthrown by the big horse warriors from the steppe?

[PeterPrinciple]

https://www.food.com/recipe/fried-boiled-eggs-104664

---

For once a headline is right. first boil, then fry.

[BenLurkin]

“who were the Harappans?”

One of those ancient civilizations (in this case along a river in India) who seem to spring full-grown into the historical record like Athena from the head of Jupiter.

[BipolarBob]

Kamala heard about the Harrapans and wants to send them 100 million dollars worth of aid fore their discomfort.

[Verginius Rufus]

Also known as the Indus Valley Civilization—covered about 300,000 square miles. Had some kind of writing which has not been deciphered. Language unknown but maybe related to the later Dravidian languages—certainly not Indo-European.

[ClearCase_guy]

YouTube has been suggesting a ton of videos to me about obscure Central Asian people (and peoples from the Indian subcontinent) who flourished quite a few thousand years ago.

So, people start in Africa. Then they come of out Africa, and you get a few cradles of civilization (Egypt, Sumer, India, China). And meanwhile, on the steppes of Central Asia there seems to be an endless number of competing civilizations establishing neolithic empires with advanced cuisines and whatnot.

There seems to have been a ton of civilizations that popped into existence 4000 years ago. Kind of weird.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Wasn’t this one of the early civilizations that were overthrown by the big horse warriors from the steppe?

Yep.

It was possibly the earliest literate civilization as well.

[SunkenCiv]

Depends who's asked. :^) When the Aryans entered India, they found the great Harappan cities already deserted apart from the dead, who were numerous, and described as short and dark haired. Of course now the reality of the Aryan invasion is denied for political reasons.

The Rig (or Rg) Veda refers to the city, but just once, and never again. The cities, rivers, and overall geography of the ancient Indian epics appear to refer to a different place, and archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (spelled about five or six different ways depending on the article) dug up their original or rather earlier homeland in Central Asia.

There are, however, Aryan Invasion Deniers (AID). :^)

[Red Badger]

First stir-fry!.........

[Jamestown1630]

I think you’ve got your Greek and Roman names mixed up...

[SunkenCiv]

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[Chickensoup]

Not to be a snark but what else would they have been expected to do?

Take-out
Oven baked
Microwave
???

[SunkenCiv]

It’s one of those Tom Mix metaphors.

[BenLurkin]

Yes. Should be Athena from Zeus. Minerva from Jupiter.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, they probably won’t be insulted :-)

[SunkenCiv]

Doorless Dash... Hey, you weren’t there. ;^)

Boiled food probably antedates hard cookware like ceramic pots — the ingredients including the liquid was suspended in a skin bag.

Ovens, they probably had those, also wrapping food in leaves and such and burying them a little, they building the fire atop it, was the forerunner of the oven. In Polynesia that’s know as an Earth-oven, works for taters and sweet potato, fish, whatever.