Comments on: A 4000 year old Leper’s Tale http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/ History, Current Affairs & Books Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:39:01 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: jk http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-17122 jk Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:40:12 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-17122 Oldtimer, According to one Indus researcher to whom I spoke, it was not an ecological measure; people were few and land was plenty at that time. Instead it is suggested that there was no switch per se from burial to cremation. Cremation was possibly the norm in Harappa pre-2000 BCE also.If they practiced burial at that time, the number of graves found does not add up to the population of the times. Oldtimer, According to one Indus researcher to whom I spoke, it was not an ecological measure; people were few and land was plenty at that time. Instead it is suggested that there was no switch per se from burial to cremation. Cremation was possibly the norm in Harappa pre-2000 BCE also.If they practiced burial at that time, the number of graves found does not add up to the population of the times.

]]> By: Carlos Aramayo http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16774 Carlos Aramayo Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:23:07 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16774 "The 1st Yale South Asian Archaeology Workshop, entitled ‘Current Directions in South Asia Archaeology’ was held in April 2008, in which Julie Hanlon in a paper entitled ‘The Social Life of Figurines in the Ahar Culture’, examined the social life of cattle figurines, placing them within the overall context of the Ahar archaeological assemblages, to suggest that cows may have served as symbols of value and played a central role in the organization of Ahar culture". This is a recent paper that could confirm that figurines are cows indeed. See http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/southasia/futuretrajectories.htm “The 1st Yale South Asian Archaeology Workshop, entitled ‘Current Directions in South Asia Archaeology’ was held in April 2008, in which Julie Hanlon in a paper entitled ‘The Social Life of Figurines in the Ahar Culture’, examined the social life of cattle figurines, placing them within the overall context of the Ahar archaeological assemblages, to suggest that cows may have served as symbols of value and played a central role in the organization of Ahar culture”. This is a recent paper that could confirm that figurines are cows indeed. See http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/southasia/futuretrajectories.htm

]]> By: Oldtimer http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16764 Oldtimer Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:32:01 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16764 A question, considering that dead bodies of infants and religious people are buried to this day in India, an exception from the general rule of cremation: was cremation adapted as an ecological measure? Land is scarce and hence .. A question, considering that dead bodies of infants and religious people are buried to this day in India, an exception from the general rule of cremation: was cremation adapted as an ecological measure? Land is scarce and hence ..

]]> By: jk http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16729 jk Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:52:36 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16729 Sunil, I did not think much about that while writing. Thanks for bringing it up. Sunil, I did not think much about that while writing. Thanks for bringing it up.

]]> By: Shastri JC Philip http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16669 Shastri JC Philip Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:01:31 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16669 My son today asked me to visit your blog, and I am happy that he did. I am a Kochi-based Hindi blogger who is now trying English blogging -- all on serious social and historical subjects. I enjoyed reading this historical article and hope to visit your site regularly. Shastri JC Philip http://English.Sarathi.Info My son today asked me to visit your blog, and I am happy that he did.

I am a Kochi-based Hindi blogger who is now trying English blogging — all on serious social and historical subjects.

I enjoyed reading this historical article and hope to visit your site regularly.

Shastri JC Philip
http://English.Sarathi.Info

]]> By: Sunil Deepak http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16668 Sunil Deepak Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:56:15 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16668 Dear Varnam, thanks for an interesting article. I hope you don't mind my using your blog to raise a related point - persons affected with leprosy have been asking for many years now to not to use the word "leper" anymore. While leprosy is today easily curable without any sign on the body, unfortunately words like "leper" that stimulate ancient images of the disease and create social stigma, are one the biggest barriers in ensuring early diagnosis and treatment of affected persons. Though in recent years the number of new cases of leprosy in India has come down sharpely, India continues to lead the world in terms of annual new cases. So please don't use the word "leper". The article you quote does not use it. Dear Varnam, thanks for an interesting article.

I hope you don’t mind my using your blog to raise a related point – persons affected with leprosy have been asking for many years now to not to use the word “leper” anymore. While leprosy is today easily curable without any sign on the body, unfortunately words like “leper” that stimulate ancient images of the disease and create social stigma, are one the biggest barriers in ensuring early diagnosis and treatment of affected persons. Though in recent years the number of new cases of leprosy in India has come down sharpely, India continues to lead the world in terms of annual new cases.

So please don’t use the word “leper”. The article you quote does not use it.

]]> By: Sean Williams http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16664 Sean Williams Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:12:18 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16664 The burial pose looks incredible, great story and one which ties in so much of the ancient world concisely. The burial pose looks incredible, great story and one which ties in so much of the ancient world concisely.

]]> By: jk http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16608 jk Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:08:25 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16608 Looks like keeping the two photographs side by side affected the formatting. I have removed one of them for now and will add it later. Looks like keeping the two photographs side by side affected the formatting. I have removed one of them for now and will add it later.

]]> By: Aryan http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16606 Aryan Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:24:17 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16606 whats up with the new format, i cant see last few words on the right side. whats up with the new format, i cant see last few words on the right side.

]]> By: Fëanor http://varnam.org/blog/2009/09/a-4000-year-old-lepers-tale/comment-page-1/#comment-16604 Fëanor Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:49:44 +0000 http://varnam.org/blog/?p=2391#comment-16604 5'10"! That's a seriously tall fellow for that age, no? 5′10″! That’s a seriously tall fellow for that age, no?

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