MOHENJO-DARO (SINDH)

Mohenjo-daro, group of mounds and

ruins on the right bank of the Indus
River, northern Sindh province,
southern Pakistan. It lies on the flat
alluvial plain of the Indus, about 50
miles (80 km) southwest of Sukkur. The
site contains the remnants of one of two
main centres of the ancient Indus
civilization (c. 2500–1700 BCE).

The name Mohenjo-daro is reputed to

signify “the mound of the dead.” The
archaeological importance of the site
was first recognized in 1922, one year
after the discovery of Harappa.
Subsequent excavations revealed that
the mounds contain the remains of what
was once the largest city of the Indus
civilization. Because of the city’s size—
about 3 miles (5 km) in circuit—and the
comparative richness of its monuments
and their contents, it has been generally
regarded as a capital of an extensive
state. Mohenjo-daro was designated a
UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.