Indus River Valley

Harappan Culture

Indus valley
not desert well-watered and heavily forested

500 miles along the river valley

10-20 times larger than Mesopotamia or Egypt

Harappan 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

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 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

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 our 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

Trading Partners

http://www.imninalu.net/IndusValley.htm

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

Bronze Age technology

no swords spears and bows stone arrow heads

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

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