Ancient Civilizations: Indus River Valley Civilizations

The people of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro accomplished all of the following except __________.

writing in Sanskrit

Water was carried to homes and baths through __________ channels.

brick

Explain how early Indus River Valley civilizations used brick channels.

Ancient Indus Valley civilizations constructed brick channels for two important tasks. Some channels carried freshwater into the cities for the residents and to fill the public baths. Other channels transported the waste and sewage out of the city to improve the sanitation.

Explain why archeologists believe that the construction of the earliest Indus Valley cities was carefully planned out. What are the two largest ancient cities that have been discovered in the Indus Valley?

Archaeologists believe that the earliest Indus Valley cities were planned because the streets and buildings were created using a grid pattern. Only a well-planned city could have maintained a structured formation during its construction. The two largest cities that have been discovered in the Indus Valley are Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

Northern India's culture was changed by the migration of the __________.

Aryans

The ancient Indus Valley civilization was replaced shortly after 2000 BCE by the __________.

Aryans

The language spoken by the ancient Aryans is related to the modern __________ language.

English

The Indus River's tributaries carry rain and snowmelt from the __________.

Himalayas

The city of Harappa was located along a tributary of the __________ River.

Indus

The ancient Aryan language that was spoken in India is related to the languages of Europe. What does this suggest about where the Aryans first lived?

The fact that the ancient language of the Aryans, who lived in India, is related to the language spoken by Europeans leads historians to think that the Aryans in India came from some other area. They believe that people who lived in the Caucasus region migrated in several different directions. When they moved, they brought their languages with them. As time went by, new languages were formed from a single base language, which is called Indo-European.

Explain the possible reasons for the fall of the Indus civilization. Why would such a strong civilization fall apart?

There are several possible explanations for the fall of the Indus civilization. One possibility is that the climate change that took place after 2000 BCE affected the civilization. The climate became drier and the water supply was greatly reduced. A reduction in the water supply would also have led to a reduction in the food supply, since agriculture requires a large supply of water. If climate change had taken place, then the available food and water supplies would not have been enough to sustain the population. Another possible reason for the fall of the Indus is a lack of resources. The Indus civilization had grown large, and they relied on the wood from the trees in the region. After a certain length of time, with a constantly growing population, the people simply overused their resources. With a lack of natural resources, the cities eventually collapsed.

The Aryans brought each of the following things to India except __________.

a new form of agriculture

It is believed that the Indus civilization was very large because __________.

hundreds of miles separated major cities

Buildings in early Indus Valley settlements were made with __________ bricks.

mud

When the Aryans brought their sacred writings to the Indus Valley, they introduced a new __________ to the region.

religion

A small waterway that branches off from a major river is called a __________.

tributary

Channels were built in cities in the Indus Valley to transport __________ to homes.

water