A head of a terracotta female figurine found at the Mehrgarh site in the Indus Valley in modern Pakistan. The archeological site shows human activity in Neolithic times, proof of early agrarian activity in South Asia at the foot of the Indus-Sarasvati or Harappan civilization. The earliest figurines found at this site are female, crafted with various headdresses, sometimes holding an infant and sometimes shown with large hips. While assumed to represent either a fertility goddess or a mother goddess, recent scholars such as Carla M. Sinopoli, caution against this interpretation. The star appears to be a headdress. Later in this culture's history, male figurines begin to appear. They show genitalia and often wear a turban. Sinopoli observes that the appearance of male figurines may mean a change in the culture's view of gender. (DJS)

Resources: Live History India (http://bit.ly/3cykIUv); Human Journey (http://bit.ly/3aqGZRD); https://www.harappa.com/; Carla M. Sinopoli, "Gender and Archeology in South and Southwest Asia," World of Gender:The Archeology of Women's Lives Around the Globe (2007) 73-96.