In sharp contrast to the practical unanimity as regards the date of the Indus Civilization, there is a wide divergence of opinion among scholars and archaeologists as to its authors—the race of the Indus Valley people. Col. Sewell and Dr. Guha on examining the available skeletal material comprising of 26 skeletons pronounce that the human remains disclose four ethnic types, viz., Proto-Australoid, Mediterranean, Mongolian and the Alpine, there being six skulls of the Mediterranean race, one each of the Mongolian branch of the Alpine stock and the Alpine, and three of the Proto-Australoid type.1 The skulls are not a homogeneous series, pointing to the heterogeneous character of the population at Mohenjo-Daro. Statuary material is meagre, only four human heads being found; and "it would be preposterous to place reliance on this type of evidence".2 According to Dr. Wust, there are four possibilities: the inhabitants were either (i) Aryans, (ii) pre-Aryan Dravidas, (iii) related to Sumer or Elam, or (iv) an autochthonous unknown people.3

  • 1. MIC (Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization. sir J. Marchall Chap. XXX, pp. 599-647. P. 606 (12 skulls selected that were sufficiently well preserved.) pp. 638-44. (conclusions).
  • 2. Kohli, Indus Val. civ. p. 34 Also, MIC 362. (Dr. Mackey)
  • 3. ZDMG, 1927, p. 259-277.