Seal from Mohenjo-daro: A Symbol of Mastery over Nature

✍️ Shariq Ali
Valueversity

The Indus Valley Civilization was not just a world of baked-brick cities—it was also a realm of imagination whose echoes still astonish us five thousand years later. One remarkable seal found at Mohenjo-daro depicts a human figure subduing two tigers with bare hands. The image is at once fearsome and profoundly symbolic.

According to archaeologist Mark Kenoyer, this scene reflects the same spirit of strength and dominion over nature found in Mesopotamian art and the Epic of Gilgamesh, where a hero wrestles with lions. The difference is subtle yet telling: on Indus seals, the figure sometimes appears distinctly male, while at other times so ambiguous that it could be female—suggesting that the “hero” might equally be a heroine.

Perhaps the image represents a deity or a guardian force—an embodiment of humanity’s effort to impose order upon the wildness of nature. Interestingly, scholars believe this idea did not travel from Mesopotamia but arose independently in both civilizations, as if humankind, across time and place, has always dreamt of mastering nature.

This seal, therefore, is not merely an ancient imprint; it is a silent testimony to a timeless question still echoing within us today:
Have we truly conquered nature—or are we still at its mercy? 🌾