Indus River Valley SWBAT- - Explain how geography effect the development of the IRV - Describe achievements of the IRV

I. Geography  Tremendous peninsula sometimes referred to as a subcontinent.  3 Bodies of Water  West- Arabian Sea  East- Bay of Bengal  South- Indian Ocean

 2 Mountain Ranges  Himalayas- Mt. Everest tallest peak in the World  Hindu Kush  Khyber pass- opening in between the two Mt. Ranges  2 Rivers  Indus  Ganges- sacred River  Monsoons- Seasonal winds that bring tremendous amount of rainfall in the valley  October- May winds are from the NE and bring dry air  Mid-June- winds shift and carry moisture from the oceans.

II. Environmental Challenges  Indus River Floods unpredictable & sometimes changes course  Extreme wet and dry seasons- Monsoons

III. Early Settlements  Over 100 settlements along the Indus River  Mohenjo-Daro & Harappa  Sophisticated city planning that needed a strong central gov’t  Streets laid out in grid  Fortified area called a Citadel- contained major gov’t and religious buildings.  Residential buildings made of baked bricks and similar structure.  Sophisticated underground pluming and sewage system.

IV Culture  Social distinctions  Few weapons found – indicates limited warfare  Religion- Polytheistic, main goddess of Nature called Shiva  Believed in Gods controlled forces of Nature Animisim  Also worshiped cattle as a work and food source  Trade- merchants used stamps and seals to identify gods.  Evidence of trading, Sumerian beads found in the IRV  Writing system that consisted of 400 symbols, has not been translated yet.