Indus Valley Civilization

Geography Like the other early civilizations, the Indus Civilization formed around a river Bordered on one side by mountains, on the other by a great desert (Thar Desert) Subject to frequent flooding, which left rich silt and permitted large surpluses Floods usu. July-September (monsoon months) High point of civilization: 2600 BC – 1900 BC; began to decline after that and completely disappeared by 1500 BC.

Discovery In 1826, a British traveller in India called Charles Masson came across some mysterious brick mounds. He thought they looked like old castles. Thirty years later in 1856, engineers building a railway found more bricks, and carted them off to build the railway. This was the first people knew of the lost Indus city of Harappa. In the 1920s, archaeologists began to excavate the sites of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. They uncovered the remains of long-forgotten cities. They had found the Indus Valley civilisation.

City Design

Economy Based on Trade The economy was highly dependent on trade They traded with Persia and Mesopotamia, maybe even Egypt and China They didn’t have money so they bartered They weighed goods on scales and had stone weights which were the same across the whole region (sign of an organized civilization) Archeologists have found many seals with different images on them and some writing – probably used for trade They had river boats (picture); could they have be sea craft too? They grew barley, wheat, peas, dates, cotton; raised chickens, and had animals oxen – but very little is known of their agriculture No specific evidence of irrigation, kings, armies, slaves (but it could be just that evidence was lost)

River Transportation

Entertainment

Beauty Products

Arts and Crafts

Writing

Religion

Central Bath of Mohenjo-Daro

The Collapse of Indus Civilization