Amri

A site in the Indus Valley in Pakistan, probably dating to the early 3rd millennium. It was the first site to be recognized as belonging to the Early Harappan Period when excavated by Majumdar in 1929. Its name has been given to a style of hand- and wheel-made painted pottery found in its Chalcolithic levels and on tells over much of Sind and up into the hills of Baluchistan. These tall globular beakers of fine buff ware are painted with geometric designs in black between red horizontal bands. Chert and some copper were used for tools and the architecture was in mud-brick. Fractional burial was the practice for the dead. Periods I and II represent the pre-Harappan settlement of agricultural farmers, who kept cattle, sheep, goat and donkey, but also hunted (or herded) gazelle. In the later part of Period II Harappan ceramics appear alongside Amri wares; Period III represents a full mature Harappan occupation. The culture was gradually succeeded by that of the Indus civilization. The uppermost levels contained Jhukar and Jhangar material.

A site in the Indus Valley in Pakistan, which has given its name to one of a group of cultures in this area. Periods I and II represent the pre-Harappan settlement of agricultural farmers, who kept cattle, sheep, goat and donkey, but also hunted (or herded) gazelle. The Amri culture is characterized by both hand- and wheel-made pottery, some of it painted in black and red geometric designs. Copper was in use, although stone tools also occur. In the later part of Period II Harappan ceramics appear alongside Amri wares; Period III represents a full mature Harappan occupa-tion. This progressed through three subphases and was finally succeeded by a level (IIID) of the post-Harappan Jhukar culture.