Elke Rogersdotter

Socializing Children's Toys: an Archaeological Inquiry into Third Millennium Bc Harappan Terracotta Remains from Gujarat, India Elke Rogersdotter

Harappan toy identified objects form the basis for an alternative approach to established archaeology's neglect of toy materials. The study agrees with objections to thoughts of the marginalized Western child as universal, but takes on a different route using revised toy definitions critical of stated ideas of the toy as problematic to apply on non-Western contexts. The artefacts' toy labels are hence not turned into other (commonly termed more valuable) interpretations. By use of grounded theory, the objects turn up indicating regulated patterns as to shape and spatiality. An emphasis on serial practices enables these patterns to be viewed within a supposed toy-realm, relating the objects to diverse social strategies while proposing them as children?s (play)things. Particularly suiting the Harappan context?s elusiveness, the outline suggests by this a reduced need for boundaries and closed entities, stating so-called toy obstacles as mere results of these. The toy concept, as the materialities of next generation, emerges as essential when dealing with change vs continuity within social structures, as well as when striving to avoid totalities formed by stiff, dichotomized thinking.