The problems of archaeological interpretation are most evident in attempts to reconstruct religious practices.
Early archaeologists thought that certain objects which seemed unusual or unfamiliar may have had a religious significance .
Harappan religion is made on the assumption that later traditions provide parallels with earlier ones.
This is because archaeologists often move from the known to the unknown , that is, from the present to the past.
While this is plausible in the case of stone querns and pots , it becomes more speculative when we extend it to “religious” symbols.
The “proto-Shiva” seals The earliest religious text , the Rigveda (compiled c. 1500-1000 BCE ) mentions a god named Rudra , which is a name used for Shiva in later Puranic traditions (in the first millennium CE ).
However, unlike Shiva, Rudra in the Rigveda is neither depicted as Pashupati ( lord of animals in general and cattle in particular) nor as a yogi . Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
In other words, this depiction does not match the description of Rudra in the Rigveda . Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect.
Some scholars consider it a Shaman.
Hence, Statement 3 is correct.
Shamans are men and women who claim magical and healing powers , as well as an ability to communicate with the other world