Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization or the Harappan Civilization is known as the earliest and the oldest civilization in India. The early years of this civilization were between 3300-1300 BCE, and the later years were between 2600-1900 BCE. However, it is speculated that the southern sites of the civilization may have lasted even later into the 2nd millennium BCE. There were three earliest civilizations in the world: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus civilization. This civilization is believed to be the most extensive of the three even though Mesopotamia and Egyptian civilizations started before it.

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Ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization

Early discovery of this civilization was first made in 1921 at Harappa in the Punjab region giving it the name of Harappan Civilization. A year later in 1922, another site was identified at Mohenjo-Daro (Mohenjodaro), near the Indus River in the Sindh (Sind) region. The Indus Valley Civilization map extends along the Indus River, between present-day northeast Afghanistan, into Pakistan and northwest India.

The civilization consisted of two large cities, Harappa and Mohenjodaro, covering more than 100 small towns and villages. Each of the two cities was originally about 1 mile (1.6 km) square in overall size. Archaeologists suggest that Harappa may have succeeded Mohenjo-Daro, which was believed to have been destroyed by floods more than once. The Population of Harappa was estimated to be 23,500–35,000 and for Mohenjo-Daro, the numbers were 35,000–41,250.

Early Excavations

John Faithfull Fleet, an English civil servant employed with the Indian Civil Services, discovered many Harappan seals in 1912. This paved the way for an excavation campaign in 1921-1922 led by Sir John Hubert Marshall, the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India. The excavation resulted in the discovery of Harappa and most of Mohenjo-Daro by 1931. Further excavations were led by Sir Mortimer Wheeler, the next director of the Archaeological Survey of India. More than 1,056 cities and settlements of the Indus Civilization were identified by 1999.

Infrastructure

Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and the recently excavated Rakhigarhi were a civilization with the world’s first known urban sanitation systems. The sewerage and drainage systems used throughout the Indus region were far more advanced than those found in other urban sites in the Middle East. Those systems were even more efficient than the ones used in several areas of India and Pakistan even today. Every home had a system to draw water from wells and the wastewater went to covered drains made on the main streets. Even the smallest homes on the outskirts of the cities were connected to the drainage system. The extensive drainage and trash collection systems reflected that the people of the civilization gave a lot of importance to cleanliness. The ruins also suggested that there were public granaries and baths. The cities had citadels and large walls. Exceptional urban planning reflects the elaborate sewerage systems, baked brick houses, water supply systems, and blocks of non-residential buildings.

Society and Political System of the Harappan Civilization

The divergence of the house types and evidence of localized groups in crafts suggests that there was some sort of social stratification. Well-planned infrastructure and civic structures like granaries and the use of weights in trades indicate an organized political and administrative system.

Occupation

The people of the Indus era followed the Mesopotamian irrigation model of agriculture and eventually developed the skills to reap the benefits of the vast and fertile Indus River valley. They also managed to learn to control the exceptional annual floods that fertilized the soil but also caused destruction. They sustained primarily on farming supplemented by trade. Six-row barley, wheat, mustard, sesame, field peas, and a few date stones were found in the excavations, along with traces of cotton. Humped and shorthorn cattle, cats, dogs, and domestic fowl were among the domesticated animals. It is possible that they also kept camels, pigs, and buffaloes along with the Asian elephants whose ivory tusks were of great use.

Craft, Technology and Artifacts of the Indus Civilization

Crude stone sculptures of seated men and animals in bronze were found at the sites. Standing females with jewelry, standing males with horns and beards, and a standing nude male sculpted in terra-cotta found in Harappa were possibly used for worship. Cast-bronze figures of small chariots, dancing girls, animals, and carts showed the excellence of the people in crafts, technology, and arts. Anatomically detailed figures and toys made in terra-cotta, bronze, and steatite demonstrated their craftsmanship in developed art. There was evidence of a painting tradition as painted pottery was found. Vessels and tools made out of copper and bronze were made using processes like casting and hammering. Other metals used were gold, silver, lead, shell, ivory, and carnelians used in making beads.

Harappans were thought to have been highly skilled in the art of seal carving. The Harappan seals were not only a reflection of their art but also played a role in their trade. Patterns were cut into the bottom face of a seal. The seals used for stamping clay on trade goods and the identification of property were quite distinct. Some were decorated with animal figures, such as tigers, elephants, and water buffalo, and were among the prominent artifacts. More than 600 Indus symbols were found engraved on these seals. The Swastika symbol was also depicted on some of them in the Indus Valley Civilization.