Amri was the type site of an important prehistoric, pre-Indus Civilization cultural complex. The complex was located in the open terrain bordered in the northwest by the Sulaiman Range, in the southwest by the Kirthar Range and in the east by the Indus River. Sindh Kohistan and Manchar Lake form the heart of this complex.
On the basis of pottery design and other artifacts, 29 sites have so far been identified, which belonged to the Amri Cultural Complex in the late fourth and early third millennium BC. All but two of these sites are located west of the Indus River, most of them in the Dadu District of modern Sindh.
The sites are spread in the Lake Manchar area, in and around the hills of Johi, and in Sindh Kohistan. At least two sites, Othmanjo Buthi and Arabjo Thana are located in the Karachi District, and two sites, Gharo Bhirro and Kot Kori, are located east of the Indus River. Among the sites, which have produced substantial Amrian material are Pir Lohri near the Manchar Lake, Ghazi Shah, Pandi Wahi and Gorandi around the hill tracts of Johi and Damb Buthi, Chauro and Bandhni in the hills of Sehwan and Sindh Kohistan.
Along with Amri, 18 of the sites belonging to the Amri Cultural Complex later became a part of the Indus Civilization, as is revealed from the Indus pottery found from the upper layers. The other 11 sites belonging to the Amri Complex were abandoned in the Indus Civilization period, as the people from these sites moved to larger towns, which began to emerge in the Indus State.
Settlement characteristics
By far most of the settlements belonging to the Amri Cultural Complex were located in the Sindh Kohistan Region, where a large number of perennial springs are located. Water from these perennial springs was often enough for irrigation throughout the year. As such two harvests were possible, in Rabi and Kharif seasons. Also, although the area does not receive a lot of rainfall, the rains are enough to give rise to substantial grazing fields. The economy of the region was therefore sustained by substantial agricultural produce, both in the shape of crops as well as animal breeding.
Another feature of the settlements located in the Sindh Kohistan Region was their construction on conically shaped artificial hills, locally referred to as buthis. It may well be that these artificial hills were constructed over existing settlements in the Indus Civilization Period, because the material belonging to the Amri Culture has mostly been found near the base of the mounds.
Amrian pottery
A large number of pottery pieces have been recovered from the lower levels at Amri. This pottery belongs to a distinct class, quite different in design from the pottery produced at other cultural centers and at Amri itself during the Indus period. The similarities of this pottery with the pottery produced at Nal and other sites in South-Central Baluchistan, such as Mehi and Kulli, indicate that the artisans originally came from Baluchistan. The Amrians produced bichrome pottery. The color was applied after firing as per traditions of the polychrome Nal pottery. The pale colored pottery was decorated with geometric motifs such as lozenges, chevron, rectangles and wavy lines.
Indigenous and external sources of raw materials
Stone, flint modules and clay used in the construction of buildings and manufacture of artifacts at Amri cultural sites were available from the lower slopes of the Kirthar mountain Range.
Semi-precious stones like agate, carnelian and chalcedony, used in ornaments, were available in the Sindh Kohistan Region, where a large number of Cambrian sites were located.
Eastern Iran and western Baluchistan were resource areas for some minerals used in the Amrian Phase.
Interactions of Amri with Kot Diji, South-Central Baluchistan and South-western Iran
Field research indicates substantial interaction between the Kot Diji and Amri Cultural Complexes. Some scholars believe that the interaction between the two cultural complexes socio-religious exchanges (marriages, festivals and ceremonies), but by and large the two Complexes retained their Cultural identities throughout the 1000 or odd years before the two complexes were merged in the Indus Civilization.
Another area, which interacted closely with the Amri Cultural Complex, was South-Central Baluchistan. This was but natural because the people settled in Amri originally came from the Nal Region of South-Central Baluchistan. Because of close similarities between the potteries produced in the Nal Region of Baluchistan and the Amri Cultural Complex, this pottery design is generally categorized as Amri-Nal. In the Kulli Region, southwest of Nal, there was a certain period in which the pottery produced was very similar to the Amri-Nal pottery.
Similar designs of pottery found in the Tepe Yahya Region of South-western Iran indicate that, in the peak period, the Amri Cultural Complex maintained cultural contacts with the south-western region of Iran.
On the basis of pottery design and other artifacts, 29 sites have so far been identified, which belonged to the Amri Cultural Complex in the late fourth and early third millennium BC. All but two of these sites are located west of the Indus River, most of them in the Dadu District of modern Sindh.
The sites are spread in the Lake Manchar area, in and around the hills of Johi, and in Sindh Kohistan. At least two sites, Othmanjo Buthi and Arabjo Thana are located in the Karachi District, and two sites, Gharo Bhirro and Kot Kori, are located east of the Indus River. Among the sites, which have produced substantial Amrian material are Pir Lohri near the Manchar Lake, Ghazi Shah, Pandi Wahi and Gorandi around the hill tracts of Johi and Damb Buthi, Chauro and Bandhni in the hills of Sehwan and Sindh Kohistan.
Along with Amri, 18 of the sites belonging to the Amri Cultural Complex later became a part of the Indus Civilization, as is revealed from the Indus pottery found from the upper layers. The other 11 sites belonging to the Amri Complex were abandoned in the Indus Civilization period, as the people from these sites moved to larger towns, which began to emerge in the Indus State.
Settlement characteristics
By far most of the settlements belonging to the Amri Cultural Complex were located in the Sindh Kohistan Region, where a large number of perennial springs are located. Water from these perennial springs was often enough for irrigation throughout the year. As such two harvests were possible, in Rabi and Kharif seasons. Also, although the area does not receive a lot of rainfall, the rains are enough to give rise to substantial grazing fields. The economy of the region was therefore sustained by substantial agricultural produce, both in the shape of crops as well as animal breeding.
Another feature of the settlements located in the Sindh Kohistan Region was their construction on conically shaped artificial hills, locally referred to as buthis. It may well be that these artificial hills were constructed over existing settlements in the Indus Civilization Period, because the material belonging to the Amri Culture has mostly been found near the base of the mounds.
Amrian pottery
A large number of pottery pieces have been recovered from the lower levels at Amri. This pottery belongs to a distinct class, quite different in design from the pottery produced at other cultural centers and at Amri itself during the Indus period. The similarities of this pottery with the pottery produced at Nal and other sites in South-Central Baluchistan, such as Mehi and Kulli, indicate that the artisans originally came from Baluchistan. The Amrians produced bichrome pottery. The color was applied after firing as per traditions of the polychrome Nal pottery. The pale colored pottery was decorated with geometric motifs such as lozenges, chevron, rectangles and wavy lines.
Indigenous and external sources of raw materials
Stone, flint modules and clay used in the construction of buildings and manufacture of artifacts at Amri cultural sites were available from the lower slopes of the Kirthar mountain Range.
Semi-precious stones like agate, carnelian and chalcedony, used in ornaments, were available in the Sindh Kohistan Region, where a large number of Cambrian sites were located.
Eastern Iran and western Baluchistan were resource areas for some minerals used in the Amrian Phase.
Interactions of Amri with Kot Diji, South-Central Baluchistan and South-western Iran
Field research indicates substantial interaction between the Kot Diji and Amri Cultural Complexes. Some scholars believe that the interaction between the two cultural complexes socio-religious exchanges (marriages, festivals and ceremonies), but by and large the two Complexes retained their Cultural identities throughout the 1000 or odd years before the two complexes were merged in the Indus Civilization.
Another area, which interacted closely with the Amri Cultural Complex, was South-Central Baluchistan. This was but natural because the people settled in Amri originally came from the Nal Region of South-Central Baluchistan. Because of close similarities between the potteries produced in the Nal Region of Baluchistan and the Amri Cultural Complex, this pottery design is generally categorized as Amri-Nal. In the Kulli Region, southwest of Nal, there was a certain period in which the pottery produced was very similar to the Amri-Nal pottery.
Similar designs of pottery found in the Tepe Yahya Region of South-western Iran indicate that, in the peak period, the Amri Cultural Complex maintained cultural contacts with the south-western region of Iran.
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