Indus Valley

Indus Valley/Harappan Civilization Population

At its peak, may have had a population of over five million.

Harappan Cities: Monumental Architecture

-Granaries -Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro virtually absent Elite areas but impressive palaces absent

Harappan Cities

A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture, making them the first urban centre in the region. The quality of municipal town planning suggests the knowledge of urban planning and efficient municipal governments which placed a high priority on hygiene, or, alternatively, accessibility to the means of religious ritual. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Granaries

A storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive versions are most often made out of pottery. Are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.

Harappan

2600 BC - 1900 BC Expansion of small number of sites into major urban centres Material culture is uniform across the entire Indus Valley

Pre-Harappan

3300 BC - 2600 BC Sites include large towns surrounded by walls Increase in uniformity of material culture (Kot Dijian) Standardized brick sizes Growth in trade

Indus Valley/Harappan Civilization: Location and Time Period

A Bronze Age civilisation (3300-1300 BCE; mature period 2600-1900 BCE) mainly in the northwestern regions of South Asia, extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan, Gujarat, and northwest India. Was one of three early cradles of civilisations of the Old World, and of the three, the most widespread. Strong and unpredictable

Circumscription

A theory of the role of warfare in state formation in political anthropology, created by anthropologist Robert Carneiro (1927- ) In areas of circumscribed agricultural land, population pressure led to warfare that resulted in the evolution of the state

Harappan Rulers

Also absent is evidence for the elaboration of power of the ruler through intricate mortuary rituals. Rulers are mostly nameless and faceless - one statue of a 'priest king'.

Collapse of Harappan

Gradual process of Climate Change and Significant drought that was seen at the same time as the decline in population and the slowdown of construction in cities and the slow down of agricultural production.

Harappan Writing

Harappan script To mark vessels and bundles and also flat pieces of copper, a gold pendant, bronze ax and small incised tablets. Small number of characters per inscription 400 + distinct signs of mostly Animal pictographs and abstract geometric patterns. Undeciphered

Harappan Trade

Harappan seals found in Mesopotamia and Mesopotamia cylinder seals found in Indus Valley sites.

Mohenjo-Daro

Is an archaeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, and one of the world's earliest major cities. Increase in social stratification Specialist craftspeople in distinct neighbourhoods

Indus River

One of the longest rivers in Asia. It flows from western Tibet (China) through Jammu and Kashmir (both Indian and Pakistani-controlled areas) and Pakistan proper. Originating in the Tibetan Plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar, the river runs a course through the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, towards Gilgit and Baltistan and then flows in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh. It is the longest river and national river of Pakistan.

Indus Valley/Harappan Civilization: Agriculture

Rich agricultural lands - but needed flood control

Priest King

Seated male sculpture from Mohenjo-Daro. Though there is no evidence that priests or monarchs ruled Mohenjo-daro, archaeologists dubbed this dignified figure as such.

Mohenjo-Daro: Great Bath

The earliest public water tank of the ancient world. Is one of the best-known structures among the ruins of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

Kot Dijian

Was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The occupation of this site is attested already at 3300 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground (about 12 m), and outer area. The Pakistan Department of Archaeology excavated it in 1955 and 1957.