Indus River Valley

Harappan Culture Indus valley ◦ not desert ◦ well-watered and heavily forested 500 miles along the river valley ◦ times larger than Mesopotamia or Egypt

Harappa Society The Indus River ◦Silt from mountains carried by river to the farmlands of the Indus River Valley. ◦Water for household, irrigation and fishing ◦Each city focused on flood control ◦Provided access to ocean for international trade Major cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro ◦First urban society Time Frame: 2600 BCE – 1300BCE A great deal of industry and trade found in civilization Video Overview (9:36)

Lack of Sources It was a literate culture ◦ Modern man cannot read the writing ◦ Most writing found on bricks and seals ◦ Did not use paper or clay tablets

“Unicorn” seal + writing

More seals

…and more seals...

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa are possible capital cities

Mohenjo-Daro Ruins Population of about 40,000 Urban center for trade and dwelling Broad streets, citadel, pool, sewage drains, storage, and housing Standardized weights evident throughout region Specialized labor

Grid map of Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro : aerial view

Street Level View

Mud bricks and flat roofs

Mohenjo-daro view of the “Citadel”

The “Great Bath”

looks like a small tower, but actually it is a neighborhood well

A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an ancient laundromat...

A large drain or sewer

Harappan granary

Housing very densely populated houses: two to three stories every house is laid out the same Courtyard at center for air and privacy No windows at the street level They have well laid out plumbing and drainage system, including indoor toilets.

view of a small, side street in a residential area. Notice that there are no windows to the street.

A bathroom on a private residence

Agricultural Products advanced agriculture surplus production textiles: wool and cotton domesticated animals and fish

Trade Goods Gold Precious Stones Ivory Peacocks Cotton Beads Jewelry

Weights Cubical weights in graduated sizes

Lothal

Lothal

Trading Partners

Transportation Most boats were small, flat-bottomed craft with one sail Overland trade was done by cart

Decline: Combination of Changes climate shift: the monsoon patterns flooding destruction of the forests migrations of new peoples: the Aryans

Modern Harappan sites rediscovered in 1920’s More than 1000 settlements have been discovered over 400,000 square miles