General Description
The Mature Harappan culture, also known as the Indus Civilization, emerged around 2500 BCE and, from its core in the Indus and Saraswati Valleys, expanded to the Kachi plain and the Makran coast in the west, to Gujarat in the south, and to the foothills of the Himalayas and the northern borders of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab in the north and east. This civilization was characterized by the establishment of several large cities, most notably Mohenjo-daro, the largest of these centres and the one best positioned to control trade and communications throughout the region. Rather than being united by a single shared ideology, it appears that the Indus people had a wide range of beliefs and/or religions.
[1]
Around 1900 or 1800 BCE, the Indus Civilization began to decline, possibly due to environmental factors.
[2]
Population and political organization
There is no clear or explicit evidence for the existence of rulers during the Mature Harappan period, though archaeologists have suggested a number of different possible ways its cities - or perhaps its entire territory - may have been governed, ranging from heterarchy to theocracy.
[3]
Certainly the Harappans could boast a well developed bureaucracy, as suggested by seals, tablets, and other inscribed artefacts.
[4]
The scholarly literature does not appear to provide population estimates for the Indus Valley as a whole, but one source suggests a population of 100,000 for the largest Harappan city, Mohenjo-daro.
[5]
[1]: (McIntosh 2008, 83-84) McIntosh, Jane. 2008. The Ancient Indus Valley. Santa Barbara; Denver; Oxford: ABC-CLIO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5P92SHE8.
[2]: (McIntosh 2008, 396-400) McIntosh, Jane. 2008. The Ancient Indus Valley. Santa Barbara; Denver; Oxford: ABC-CLIO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5P92SHE8.
[3]: (McIntosh 2008, 391-92) McIntosh, Jane. 2008. The Ancient Indus Valley. Santa Barbara; Denver; Oxford: ABC-CLIO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5P92SHE8.
[4]: (McIntosh 2008, 212) McIntosh, Jane. 2008. The Ancient Indus Valley. Santa Barbara; Denver; Oxford: ABC-CLIO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5P92SHE8.
[5]: (McIntosh 2008, 214) McIntosh, Jane. 2008. The Ancient Indus Valley. Santa Barbara; Denver; Oxford: ABC-CLIO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5P92SHE8.
none |
Indus Civilisation |
Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period |
[1,000,000 to 1,500,000] km2 |
continuity |
Preceding: Kachi Plain - Urban Period I (pk_kachi_urban_1) [continuity] | |
Succeeding: Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period (pk_kachi_post_urban) [None] |
quasi-polity |
Year Range | Kachi Plain - Urban Period II (pk_kachi_urban_2) was in: |
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(2100 BCE 1801 BCE) | Kachi Plain |
Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Utm Zone | 42 R | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Original Name | Kachi Plain - Urban Period II | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Capital | unknown | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Alternative Name | Mature Harappan | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Suprapolity Relations | none | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Supracultural Entity | Indus Civilisation | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Succeeding Entity | Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction | [1,000,000 to 1,500,000] km2 | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Relationship to Preceding Entity | continuity | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Preceding Entity
2500 BCE 2100 BCE
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Kachi Plain - Urban Period I (pk_kachi_urban_1) [continuity] | Confident Expert | |||||||||
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Succeeding Entity
1800 BCE 1300 BCE
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Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period (pk_kachi_post_urban) [None] | Confident | |||||||||
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Degree of Centralization | quasi-polity | Confident Expert | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More |
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Settlement Hierarchy | [3 to 4] | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Religious Level | 2 | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Military Level | [0 to 1] | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Administrative Level | [1 to 2] | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Specialized Government Building | Present | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Merit Promotion | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Full Time Bureaucrat | Present | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Examination System | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Mines or Quarry | Present | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Written Record | Present | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Script | Present | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing | Absent | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Scientific Literature | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Sacred Text | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Religious Literature | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Practical Literature | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Philosophy | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Lists Tables and Classification | Present | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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History | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Fiction | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Calendar | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Token | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Precious Metal | Present | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Paper Currency | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Indigenous Coin | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Foreign Coin | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Article | Present | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Postal Station | Present | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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General Postal Service | Present | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Courier | Present | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More |
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Wooden Palisade | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Stone Walls Non Mortared | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Stone Walls Mortared | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Modern Fortification | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Fortified Camp | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Earth Rampart | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Complex Fortification | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Long Wall | absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Tension Siege Engine | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Sling Siege Engine | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Sling | Absent | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Self Bow | Absent | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Self Bow | Present | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Javelin | Absent | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Handheld Firearm | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Crossbow | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Composite Bow | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Atlatl | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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War Club | Present | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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War Club | Absent | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Sword | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Spear | Present | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Spear | Absent | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Polearm | Absent | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Dagger | Present | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Dagger | Absent | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Battle Axe | Present | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Battle Axe | Absent | Confident Uncertain | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Horse | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Elephant | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Donkey | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Dog | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Camel | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Shield | Absent | Inferred | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Scaled Armor | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Plate Armor | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Limb Protection | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Leather Cloth | Unknown | Suspected | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Laminar Armor | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Helmet | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Chainmail | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Breastplate | Absent | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More | |||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement is Broad | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain | Unknown | Confident | 2100 BCE 1800 BCE | ||||||||
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Variable | Coded Value | Tags | Year(s) | See More |
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