Indus Valley Unicorn Bulls and Sky Domes 2500-2200 BCE

Map of Indus Valley Civilization. Red dots show the main sites. It was connected by trade with Sumeria.
(Image from: https://www.harappa.com/blog/indus-civilization-100-years-discovery)

Indus Valley Overview

(July 5, 2022) The Harappan civilization developed in parallel with the Sumerian civilization but without its intense city-state competition. The two civilizations even traded with each other via the gulf of Aqaba. It developed writing to support that trade although that writing has not yet been deciphered.

The Indus Valley Harappan civilization is most famous for its unicorn bull seals shown below. The one horn indicates that this bull represents the half of the life connective power of the ancient Pagan Paradigm which brings rain. The other half is represented by the sun which brings light and heat. The chaotic storm bull brings rain.

The purpose of these seals was to create trade passes. To quote Harappan archaeologist and expert Mark Kenoyer on their purpose:

Circular tokens with the impressions from square stamp seals on one of both sides were never attached to bundles of goods. In historical times such tokens bearing an official seal were used as passes to control traffic – much like a hauling permit in the modern context; in much the same way – the Indus tokens may have been issued to middlemen or transporters as certificates from a seal owner" (Ancient Cities of the Indus Civilization, pp. 88, 189).

Unicorn Bull Showing Life Network on Left

Unicorn bull seal (H97-3433/7617-01) dating to about 2200 BCE which is at the transition between Harappa Periods 3B and 3C.
In front of the unicorn bull is an image of the life-growth network pouring fertility fluids into the under-dome sky-shell as indicated by the stars surrounding it. The under-dome sits upon a pedestal such that together they form a chalice. In Sumerian this corresponds to the goddess Erishkigal who after lordification was also called Ningal meaning “lady of the chalice” from NIN.GAL.
https://www.harappa.com/indus4/5.html

Unicorn Bull with Two Sky Shells on Left

This is a rare unicorn seal from Harappa has both the upper and lower sky-shells. This seal was found in the central area of Mound E and dates to Period 3B or early 3C, around 2450-2200 BC.
Notice the stars around the lower sky-shell but not on the top yet the top has a fish net pattern.
(http://old.harappa.com/indus2/133.html)

Zebu Bull on Indus Valley Seal

This zebu bull seal shows that the unicorn bulls are something unique and not some generic bull representation. The unicorn bull seals are always paired with the divine chalice unlike here.
(https://www.harappa.com/indus/27.html)

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