article

An archaeology of yoga

RES: anthropology and aesthetics (1) • Published In 1981 • Pages: 44-77

By: McEvilley, Thomas.

Abstract
This document examines a seal from Mohenjo-Daro wherein a figure sits in an unusual position and wears a horned headdress. There are three other Indus Valley seals that have figures in similar postures. The author proposes the figures are in a yogic position and that yoga as it is known today began in the Indus Valley. When the Indo-Aryans moved into India, the Vedic religion started to accept ecstatic and ascetic practices from the surrounding communities, changing the spiritual focus to sublimate sexual practices into allegory.
Subjects
Theological systems
Postures
Shamans and psychotherapists
Magic
Acculturation and culture contact
Historical reconstruction
Religious denominations
tradition
Vedic
HRAF PubDate
2017
Region
Asia
Sub Region
South Asia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Art Historian
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
Analyst
Sarah Berry; 2014
Field Date
Not applicable
Coverage Date
4600-2000 BP
Coverage Place
India and Pakistan
Notes
Thomas McEvilley
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
81649939
LCSH
Indus civilization