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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Harappa
Omar Khan
Harappa is a gateway to South Asia before 1947. The site has two main objectives. One is to start telling the story of the actual ancient city of Harappa and the civilizations of the Indus Valley, about which very little information is available outside scholarly circles. The second objective is to showcase pre-independence (1947) media from the Indian subcontinent, including film, sounds and a wide range of pictures.
An underlying theme is to explore the common history of South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), a history which goes far deeper than current political divisions may suggest.
The story of the actual, literal Harappa (now in Punjab, Pakistan) starts in the early 19th century, with the rediscovery of a city which flourished in 2,500 B.C. Its discovery was the first sign of the ancient Indus Valley civilizations. This story continues today with the first major excavations by a joint US-Pakistani team at Harappa since the 1940's.
The most basic questions about Harap-pan civilization remain unanswered. The Indus Valley script has not been deciphered. All we know is that it was the largest ancient civilization, highly sophisticated in its management of trade and resources. Given the very latest research pushing the origin of Indus Valley cultures to 6,000 B.C., they may be the lost origin of many common elements of today's world, including writing, various signs of the Zodiac, mathematics, textiles, toilets and much more.
The Web site includes a 90 slide tour of the ancient Indus by Jonathan Mark Kenoy-er, one of its foremost scholars. The site tries to weave together the relevant information in ways that broad audiences today can enjoy and find stimulating. The site shows actual objects and images the Ha-rappans used, presents detailed analyses of objects like a unicorn seal, or offers a walk through the ancient Indus city of Mohenjo-daro.
Links: http://www.harappa.com
An underlying theme is to explore the common history of South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), a history which goes far deeper than current political divisions may suggest.
The story of the actual, literal Harappa (now in Punjab, Pakistan) starts in the early 19th century, with the rediscovery of a city which flourished in 2,500 B.C. Its discovery was the first sign of the ancient Indus Valley civilizations. This story continues today with the first major excavations by a joint US-Pakistani team at Harappa since the 1940's.
The most basic questions about Harap-pan civilization remain unanswered. The Indus Valley script has not been deciphered. All we know is that it was the largest ancient civilization, highly sophisticated in its management of trade and resources. Given the very latest research pushing the origin of Indus Valley cultures to 6,000 B.C., they may be the lost origin of many common elements of today's world, including writing, various signs of the Zodiac, mathematics, textiles, toilets and much more.
The Web site includes a 90 slide tour of the ancient Indus by Jonathan Mark Kenoy-er, one of its foremost scholars. The site tries to weave together the relevant information in ways that broad audiences today can enjoy and find stimulating. The site shows actual objects and images the Ha-rappans used, presents detailed analyses of objects like a unicorn seal, or offers a walk through the ancient Indus city of Mohenjo-daro.
Links: http://www.harappa.com
Omar Khan is Pakistani who now resides in San Frandsco and holds an MA in the philosophy o f art from Columbia University. He works as a multimedia producer and business Consultant. Previous work includes directing a pioneering series of video documentaries on democracy for Pakistans Parliament on behalf of The Asia Foundation in Islamabad, Pakistan.