The Metrology behind Harappan Town-Planning – I

How were Dholavira’s town planners able to impose such a set of precise ratios and dimensions on the ground? Read this part 1 of 2-part article by Michel Danino.

Abstract

The existence and use of Harappan linear units have remained a riddle. Harappan town planning, in particular, has not so far been known to have used precise units, although it displays elaborate geometry. This article proposes that the site of Dholavira, in the Rann of Kachchh, enables us to calculate a possible linear unit used to lay out the fortifications. This unit, which works out to 1.9 m, is then related to a proposed Harappan angula of 1.76 cm, with a factor of 108 between the two, as indicated in later classical literature. Besides other Harappan sites, independent research at early historical and historical sites and structures- e.g., Taxila, Shishupalgarh, Thimi and the Delhi Iron Pillar is quoted as confirmation of the proposed system – an important case of continuity between India’s two urbanizations.

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