Ancient River Valley Civilizations

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

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

INDUS RIVER VALLEY Thrived from 3300-1300 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

And here...

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

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

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

Advancements of the Indus People

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