ANCIENT INDIA Indus River Valley

Around five thousand years ago, an important civilization developed on the Indus River floodplain. From about 2600 B.C. to 1700 B.C. a vast number of settlements were built on the banks of the Indus River and surrounding areas. These settlements cover a remarkable region, almost 1.25 million kilometers of land which is today part of Afghanistan, Pakistan and north- western India.

Mohenjo-Daro & Harappa Mohenjo-Daro, which scholars believe means "hill of the dead," was an ancient Indian city located on the west bank of the Indus River. The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro were discovered in The people of Mohenjo-Daro belonged to what many scholars refer to as the Harappan Civilization.

Homes: Houses were one or two stories high, made of baked brick, with flat roofs, and were just about identical. Each was built around a courtyard, with windows overlooking the courtyard. The outside walls had no windows. Each home had its own private drinking well and its own private bathroom. Clay pipes led from the bathrooms to sewers located under the streets. These sewers drained into rivers and streams.

Clothing Men and women dressed in colorful robes. Women wore jewelry of gold and precious stone, and even wore lipstick! Among the treasures found was a statue of a women wearing a bracelet. (Bracelets with similar designs are worn today in India.)

Entertainment: A beautiful small bronze statue of a dancer was found, which tells us that they enjoyed dance and had great skill working with metals. In the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro, scientists have found the remains of a large central pool, with steps leading down at both ends. This could have been a public swimming pool, or perhaps have been used for religious ceremonies.

The Great Bath Around this large central pool were smaller rooms, that might have dressing rooms, and smaller pools that might have been private baths.

Quick Facts People of the Indus Valley were farmers who lived in small valleys. The Indus Valley people had a form of writing but unfortunately it has not been deciphered so nothing is known of their political system or their religion. The Indus people also traded by sea with the people of Mesopotamia trading Timber and Cotton.

Fall of the Indus River Valley - Theories There was a climatic change and the area grew cooler and drier…OR It has also been suggested that rivers changed course due to an Earthquake…OR They were wiped out by the Aryans who came from modern day Russia.