Archaeologists reconstruct the past primarily through material evidence rather than written records, as the Harappan script remains undeciphered. This material includes pottery, tools, ornaments, and household objects that have survived over time.

However, not all materials survive equally. Organic materials such as cloth, leather, wood, and reeds generally decompose, especially in tropical regions. What survive are materials like stone, burnt clay (terracotta), and metal. Additionally, archaeologists must consider that only broken or useless objects were thrown away, while valuable items were likely recycled. Intact valuable artefacts found today were either lost in the past or hoarded and never retrieved, making such finds accidental rather than typical.

Once artefacts are recovered, archaeologists classify their finds using two principles. The first is classification by material – stone, clay, metal, bone, ivory, etc. The second, more complicated method is classification by function, where archaeologists decide whether an artefact is a tool, an ornament, or meant for ritual use.

To understand the function of artefacts, archaeologists rely on resemblance with present-day things such as beads, querns, stone blades, and pots. They also investigate the context in which an object was found – whether in a house, drain, grave, or kiln. Present-day analogies help archaeologists interpret ancient artefacts.

Despite these methods, several reconstructions remain speculative. Questions about whether the Great Bath was a ritual structure, the extent of literacy, reasons for little social differentiation in cemeteries, and issues of gender remain unanswered. Very few scholars have investigated gender in the Harappan context, representing a new area for future research.