There is much uncertainty regarding the identification of racial composition of the Harappan population. The only definite material available with regard to the authorship of the Indus valley civilization are the human skeletons and skulls found among the ruins, which show that the population of Mohenjodaro was heterogeneous and comprised at least four different racial types, viz. Proto-Australoid, Mediterranean, Alpinoid (Armenoid branch), and Mongoloid.

The Mohenjodaro population is, however, generally believed to have mainly consisted of the Mediterranean type. The chronological evidence speaks not only of the diverse racial elements but also of free racial mixture.

D. K. Sen, however, is skeptical about accepting the general theory of race in the light of the changing concepts in Physical Anthrology. A critical analysis of the nature of the skeletal material from excavations at Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Chanhudaro and Lothal led Sen to reject the old view as outmoded and says that at the most we may say that ‘the Harappans were long-headed and high- domed groups, the sexes not differing markedly in there characteristics.

They had medium-high faces and orbits of medium dimensions.’ He also came to the broad conclusion that at the above four sites the population was homogenous with regard to head-shape, nose-shape and stature and belonged to single biological group and not recognizable as belonging to several races with distinctive characteristics. He further postulated that the Harappan culture was autochthonous and descended from of earlier populations.

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Some scholars have also seen the authorship of Harappan civilization in terms of Aryan and Dravidian which though primarily denote linguistic groups have been indiscriminately used in ethnic sense in this connection. Thus the authorship has been ascribed to Dravidians, Brahuis, Sumerians, Panis, Azuras, Vratyas, Vahikas, Dasas, Nagas, Aryans, etc.

The majority view prefers to hold the authors of the Indus civilization as speakers of Dravidian’. However, so far as the funeral customs are concerned it is impossible to ascribe the Indus valley culture to the Dravidians among whom burial was the prevalent form of interring the dead. Further, excavations in the south have hitherto revealed no traces of the Indus valley civilization.