Health Ahoy may earn commissions on purchases from this page.
Stone Artifact: Indus Valley Soapstone Seal
Health Ahoy may earn commissions on purchases.

Stone Artifact: Indus Valley Soapstone Seal

Soapstone Seal from Indus Valley

Soapstone Seal from Indus Valley

license: public domain
source: Wikimedia Commons
author: unknown
Description

A photograph shows a soapstone seal from the Indus Valley, depicting a horned figure sitting cross-legged with its hands resting on its knees. Several animals are depicted near the figure, as well as a line of text above it.


Date

Artifact: 2600–1900 BC

Photo: 2010


Information

This soapstone seal, discovered in the Indus Valley, depicts a seated figure, presumably some sort of deity over animals. Due to the figure’s seated position and posture, some modern sources attribute this seal as being the earliest evidence of the practice of yoga. However, this stance is not widely accepted; the seated position depicted is fairly natural and would not necessitate the practice of yoga in this region and period.


Related Articles

History of Yoga

Bibliography

Samuel, G. (2008). The origins of yoga and tantra: Indic religions to the thirteenth century. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.