World History Name: Addie Schlegel

Evidence to Inference Exercise Period: 1st

HARAPPAN SOCIETY
Around the same time that Mesopotamia and Egypt developed civilizations, another
civilization grew up in the Indus River valley region. Archaeologists have discovered that
they had a written language consisting of at least 400 symbols, the longest stretch of
symbols discovered so far is only 25. Unfortunately, no one has been able to decode this
language and no Rosetta Stone has been unearthed to help them crack the code.
Therefore, we must speculate about what the culture may have been like based on
material evidence. The following are some of the pieces of evidence that historians have
to go on. Using this limited bit of evidence, make inferences about what the Harappan
culture must have been like and what might have happened to them.

 EVIDENCE
 1. Bricks found at three of the major
sites of cities are all uniform in their size
and shape
 2. They created thousands of seals with
animals and writing many of these seals
have been found in Mesopotamia
 3. At Mohenjo-Daro, an artificial
mound was discovered 50 feet high,
surrounded by a brick wall. Some of the
rooms were used for ammunition. A
large bath was connected, as well as
storage space for grain.
4. Cities reflect urban planning. They
are all laid out with major roads running
north and south.
 5. No palaces for royalty have been
discovered.
 6. No large religious temples or statues
have been discovered. However, a
number of small figures have been
found, of female figures who appear
pregnant and often have children with
them. There are also nude male figures
with horns, seated in yoga position and
surrounded by animals
 7. Many of the government seals have
pictures of bulls on them
 8. Houses are often 30 feet square and
 INFERENCES
This suggests that they had an organizational
building method and they have building
standards.
Animals were powerful symbols in their society
and animals were very important to them, thus
including animals in their seals.
They had a reliable food surplus and
specialized workers. They have advanced
construction technology. They may have
hostile relationships with their neighbors.
They were very modern/advanced in their
ways of designing buildings, roads, and cities.
Everyone lives equally and there still may have
been wealthier people but not more powerful.
Women were seen in society as child-bearers
whose jobs were primarily to raise children.
The men were higher in power because they
had animals around them and I assume that
since animals were important to their society
they were a sign of wealth and significance.
In the animals kingdom, bulls are powerful and
travel in groups sometimes. It may be a sign of
wealth and dominance.
They were very modern and updated in their
may have been more than one story.
They had indoor toilets and showers
with underground sewer systems.
 9. Many toys and games have been
found
 10. Some pots, weapons and a few
sacrificed animals have been found in
graves.
 11. At one of the major cities, Lothal,
docks were constructed that could
adjust with the tides
 12. A bead factory was discovered over
5,000 square feet of building space
 13. They were the first to grow cotton
and weave it into clothing
 14. Later excavation shows that cities
started to allow garbage to build up in
the streets (Turning point)
 15. Some skeletons were found in dead
end streets in Mohenjo-Daro, in
positions that suggest that they were
running or hiding
 16. Some city walls were 40 feet thick
and 35 feet tall
 17. Hordes of jewelry were found
 18. Some later houses were not built as
sturdily as the original houses. They
appeared to be built up on platforms
 19. Lots of silt has been deposited on
the sites of some of the cities.
 20. Mesopotamian literature refers to a
land to the east, where they traded
wool, leather, and olive oil.
 21. Some fire altars have been
housing and sewage systems. They probably
have fairly good hygiene.
Similar to today, children enjoyed playing with
toys and people of all ages needed some form
of entertainment so games could have
provided that for them.
They believed when people died that they
would go to an afterlife where food, supplies,
animals, significant belongings, etc were
important.
Catching fish and marine animals was one
important way to provide food for themselves
and they needed to be able to go out at any
time of day to get necessary food.
Beads were a form of money to trade with and
they needed factories and places to create
enough beads to trade and sustain life.
They were smart and resourceful and
discovered that you could weave cotton to
make tougher clothing.
Their society was beginning to crumble and
they just let their lives fall apart a little. It
became less apparent that they were steady
and stable.
Their cities were attacked and they died trying
to flee.
They were trying to defend themselves by
protecting themselves with tall walls.
They had either stolen a lot of jewelry or they
were trying to hide it.  
Their society was beginning to crumble and
they just let their lives fall apart a little. It
became less apparent that they were steady
and stable.
The cities had not been touched for many,
many years.
They traded with Mesopotamia for supplies
and resources.
They kept warm by burning fires.
discovered.

World History Name: Addie

Harappa: Making an Argument Period: 1st

Making an Argument: The Basics

An argument consists of evidence used to support a statement or thesis. Using the Evidence to
Inference Exercise on the Harappan Society, you will make an argument about how this
civilization collapsed.

Your two arguments will follow this basic format:

Assertion (general statement of fact)

Evidence (concrete details supporting the assertion)
Analysis (an explanation of WHY something happened or is the way it is based on the evidence)

Here is an example of an argument about the economy of Harappa and the Indus Civilization:

Assertion: The cities of the Indus River Valley Civilization were able to produce large surpluses
of agriculture.
Evidence: At Harappa, archaeologists have found a large number of toys. They have also
unearthed a 5000 square foot bead factory.
Analysis: To devote so many craftsmen to items unnecessary for survival indicates that the basic
needs of the people were met. There was a division of labor into several areas of craftsmanship.
Only large agricultural surpluses can free workers from food production and allow them to take
on crafts such as bead and toy production.

And here is how this would look in an essay:

The cities of the Indus River Valley Civilization were able to produce large surpluses of
agriculture. At Harappa, archaeologists have found a large number of toys. They have also
unearthed a 5000 square foot bead factory. To devote so many craftsmen to items unnecessary
for survival indicates that the basic needs of the people were met. There was a division of labor
into several areas of craftsmanship. Only large agricultural surpluses can free workers from food
production and allow them to take on crafts such as bead and toy production.

Now, using the evidence from the exercise, your will build two arguments about why the Indus
River Valley Civilization collapsed.
Assertion: Harappa collapsed because they were invaded.

Evidence: There were skeletons found in the middle of streets in running/hiding positions.

Analysis: Harappa was invaded quickly and they were not prepared for it. The civilization died
because of it. The buildings were destroyed and the people all died. It is clear that there was an
invasion because the entire city was layered in silt and there was destruction when it was first
discovered.

Assertion: They needed to devote too many people to war and construction of wars that they
had no people left to keep the city tidy which led to diseases.

Evidence: There were 50 foot walls discovered and they began to let tons of trash pile up.

Analysis: People became overworked and sick and if people are living together disease will
spread quickly especially if they are already getting injured in battle.