A century ago, in the autumn of 1924, the scholar-archaeologist John Marshall made an announcement that dramatically altered existing perceptions of South Asia’s antiquity: he proclaimed the discovery of “the civilization of the Indus Valley.” This was seen as monumental - on the same scale as the findings of Heinrich Schliemann who unearthed Troy, and Arthur Evans who dug out Minoan Crete. The Troy and Crete stories have been well told, but a detailed, archivally rich, and completely accessible narrative of the people, processes, places, and puzzles that led up to Marshall’s proclamation has long remained unknown. Now, for the first time here, we have the whole story enchantingly told.

A century ago, in the autumn of 1924, the scholar-archaeologist John Marshall made an announcement that dramatically altered existing perceptions of South Asia’s antiquity: he proclaimed the discovery of “the civilization of the Indus Valley.” This was seen as monumental - on the same scale as the findings of Heinrich Schliemann who unearthed Troy, and Arthur Evans who dug out Minoan Crete. The Troy and Crete stories have been well told, but a detailed, archivally rich, and completely accessible narrative of the people, processes, places, and puzzles that led up to Marshall’s proclamation has long remained unknown. Now, for the first time here, we have the whole story enchantingly told.

A century ago, in the autumn of 1924, the scholar-archaeologist John Marshall made an announcement that dramatically altered existing perceptions of South Asia’s antiquity: he proclaimed the discovery of “the civilization of the Indus Valley.” This was seen as monumental - on the same scale as the findings of Heinrich Schliemann who unearthed Troy, and Arthur Evans who dug out Minoan Crete. The Troy and Crete stories have been well told, but a detailed, archivally rich, and completely accessible narrative of the people, processes, places, and puzzles that led up to Marshall’s proclamation has long remained unknown. Now, for the first time here, we have the whole story enchantingly told.