1. Ancient River Valley Civilizations

3. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

4. Economic Networks & Exchange
Key Themes
Economic Networks & Exchange
Science, Technology & the Environment

5. INDUS RIVER VALLEY
Thrived from BC in modern day Pakistan and India
Very mysterious civilization
The writing has not been translated
Symbols and pictures are all we have
We can only make inferences
What is an inference?

6. MAKING INFERENCES
The cities were constructed using sophisticated brick-laying and grid pattern technology
Inference:

9. POLITICAL STRUCTURE
The IVP had a strong and well-organized central government
The center of government was the citadel → What do you think went on in the Citadel?
We are unsure of the exact political structure
But it must have been well-organized...why?
Most likely was departmentalized to coordinate such impressive zoning
There were “twin” capitals at Harappa and Mohenjo- Daro

10. MAKING INFERENCES
Archaeologists have found Indus Valley seals as far away ancient Sumer
Inference:

12. MAKING INFERENCES
Archaeologists have found many sets of these weighted cubes
Inference:

15. Economics and Trade They participated in a vast trading network
imported textiles, food and minerals
Exported copper, lumber, precious stones, cotton, and luxury goods
Weights and Measurement
The Harappans invented the first system of weights and measurements for trade
Basic mathematical concepts
Urban and Rural populations
City-folk - merchants and craftsmen
Rural fold- farmers and herders
Possibly domesticated the elephant, buffalo, rhino, deer and antelope

16. Observation: IVP left behind stone statues like the one pictured here.

17. And here...

18. Observation: IVP buried their dead in tomb-like structures full of personal belongings

20. Contributions of Ancient India
Indus Valley
Shiva - The
highest
Hindu God
in some
hindi
sects

21. INDUS VALLEY RELIGION Priests were generally in charge
Meditated to connect with the spirit
Indus people worshiped animals
In particular, the bull
Both men and women held spiritual roles
There was a strong belief in the afterlife
Buried with personal belongings
Belief in a soul – or something like it
Ritual bathing was a method to purify the soul

22. Advancements of the Indus People

23. The end of the Indus Valley
No one really knows what happened to the Harappans and people of Mohenjo Daro - but by 1500bc their civilization was gone
Theories
Natural disaster (earthquake, floods) destroyed the cities and the people migrated to other areas → Like East Asia and Mesopotamia
Assimilated with other cultures and beliefs
They moved from the region for some other reason
Exhausted the soil, used up vital natural resources
It is widely believed that they were conquered by other people
The Aryans