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Dholavira's geometry: a bridge between Harappan and classical
times and concepts
Michel
Danino
Abstract
Dholavira, a unique Harappan site in the Rann of Kachchh,
displays elaborate town-planning. Its massive fortifications
delineate nested enclosures that follow highly precise
proportions. Those ratios combined with the city’s dimensions
allow us to calculate precisely the unit of length used for the
fortifications, and to relate it to the ivory scale found at the
nearby site of Lothal. Dholavira's ratios and units are both
visible at other Harappan sites, and are shown to be related to
historical unit systems -- a significant finding, since the
conventional view was that there was no connection between
Harappan and historical town planning. Finally, the paper shows
that some of the abstract concepts underlying Dholavira’s
geometry appear identical to concepts of classical Hindu
architecture and philosophy.
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