ANCIENT HISTORY

THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

Indus Valley Civilization called as the Harappan Culture. Because first site was discovered at
Harappa.
The term Culture used for a group of objects, distinctive in style, usually found together
within a specific geographical area.
I.V. Civilization dated C-2600 & 1900 BCE.
NOTE:

BCE Before Common era

C - Latin word circa & means approximate
Harappan Sites
Manda
Harappa
Rakhigarhi
Mitathal
Banawali
Kalibangan
Ganweriwala
Mohenjadaro
Kot Diji
Dholavira
Lothal
Rangpur
Amri
Balakot
Grains found at Harappan sites
a. Wheat
b. Barely
c. Lentil
d. Chickpea
e. Sesame
Animal bones found
a. Cattle
b. Sheep
c. Goat
d. Buffalo
e. Pig
Bones of Wild Species
a. Boar
b. Deer
c. Gharial
Bones of fish & Fowl are also found

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ANCIENT HISTORY

Agricultural Technologies:
Bull was represented on seals and terracotta ----- known animal ----- could
be used for ploughing.
Saddle querns found at Mohenjadaro used for grinding cereals.
Most unique feature of the Harappan Civilization was development of urban
centers.
Mohenjo-Daro settlement is divided into 2 sections.
o Smaller but higher
Citadel
o Larger but lower
Lower town
Citadel Buildings were constructed on mud brick platforms (higher) it was
walled (separated from lower town)
(In Lothal, the citadel was not walled)
Bricks whether sun dried or baked, were of standardized ratio, where the length &
breadth were 4 times & twice the height respectively.
In the lower town, roads & streets were laid out along an approximate grid pattern,
intersecting at right angles.
It seems streets with drains were laid out first & then houses built along
them.
The Structures that were used for special public purposes were on citadel.
Eg: Warehouse & the Great bath.
Ware house :
o Massive Structure
o Lower brick portions
o Upper portions of wood
Great Bath :
o Large rectangular tank
o Surrounded by Court Yard by a Corridor on all 4 sides.
o 2 fights of steps on the north & south leading into the tank.
o Across a lane to the North lay a smaller building with 8 bathrooms.
Tracking Social differences:
Burials:
Dead were generally laid in pits.
Differences in the way Burial pit was made
Hollowed out spaces were lined with bricks
Some graves contain pottery & ornaments
Jewellery has been found in Burials of both men & women.
Some dead were buried with copper mirrors.

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ANCIENT HISTORY

Study artefacts:

Artefacts

Utilitarian (daily use)

Luxuries
Miniature pot of faience perhaps used as perfume bottles.
All the gold jewellery found at Harappan sites was recovered from
hoards
These are kept inside containers such as pots.

CRAFT PRODUCTION:
o

o
o
o

Chanhudaro tiny settlement: Exclusively devoted to craft production

Bead making
Shell cutting
Metal working
Seal making
Weight making
Beads were made by using stones like carnelian (red), jasper, crystal, quarh steatite
(soft stone) Metals like copper, bronze, gold Shell, faience, terracotta or burnt clay
Nageshwar & Balakot sites were specialized centers for making shell objects
including bangles, ladles & inlay.
Raw Materials were procured from established settlements like
Shell from Nageshwar & Balakot
Lapis lazuli (blue stone) from Shortughai
Carnelian, steatite from Lothal.
Khetri area famous for Ganeshwar Jodhpura culture with its distinctive non
Harappan pottery & unusual wealth of copper objects supplied copper to the
Harappans.
Copper was also brought from Oman
Evidence: Harappan jar coated with a thick layer of black clay was found at Oman
site.
Mesopotamians might known Harappans as Meluhha
Seals & Sealings were used to facilitate long distance communication.
Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of a stone
called Chert.
Chert means cubical with no markings.
Metal scale pans have also been found
Collapse of civilization.
Climate Change
Deforestation
Excessive floods
Drying up of rivers

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Can be reasons for destruction

of one or more sites but cannot
collapse entire civilization.
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Discovery of Harappan Civilization

Cunningham, 1st D.G of the ASI (Archaeological Survey Of India)
Used the account left by Chinese Buddhist Pilgrims who has visited the Subcontinent.
An Englishman gave Harappan seal to Cunningham.
Later many seals were discovered at Harappa by Archaeologists.
In 1924, John Marshall, D.Gof the ASI announced discovery of a new civilization in the Indus
Valley.
When people continue to live in the same place, their constant use and reuse of the
landscape results in the build up of occupational debris called mould.
Study of these layers Stratigraphy
In 1944, REM Wheeler, DG of ASI recognized that it was necessary to follow the Stratigraphy
of the mound.
Shamans are men & women who claim magical & healing powers, as well as an ability to
communicate with the other world.

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