This manuscript describes, in some detail, the ancient civilizations, which originated in the Indian subcontinent of times gone by, but belonging mostly to our part of world now. It was chosen to include the general status of women, along with whatever information could be retrieved on obstetric and Gynaecological (Obs/Gyn) practices of those times, for holistic approach. If women are not respected and enabled to play their due role in the society the latter will not develop. The areas and civilizations involved are described below.

The Potohar Plateau And Rohri Hills¹
As long back as two million years ago, in the early Paleolithic period, the Hominids roamed about in these areas, due to comfortable environment created mostly by the lands watered by the Indus River, congenial for the basic requirement of food.
Homoerectus first appeared (outside Africa) in Potohar Plateau around Rawat (Rawalpindi outskirts), evidenced by the finding of large quantities of crude quartzite tools in this area. More refined and useful tools like heavy butted axes and implements were found in the nearby Soan Valley, belonging to the period between 2 million and 1 million years ago. Other still more refined stone implements have been found from Rohri Hills in the lower Indus valley region, belonging to the period around 36,000 BC.
However coming back to our field, one wonders as to how such an early man managed pregnancy, parturition and diseases of women. Most probably they just occurred in the open lands and nature took its course.