What was the Indus Valley Civilization?
The Indus Valley Civilization, also called the Harappan Civilization, was a Bronze Age society that grew up along the Indus River and its tributaries. It is named after Harappa, the first of its cities to be excavated in the 1920s. Its mature phase, from about 2600 to 1900 BCE, covered a huge area, larger than ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia.
Key cities
- Mohenjo-daro in Sindh, Pakistan, is among the largest and best-preserved sites. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Harappa in Punjab, Pakistan, gave the civilization its name.
- Dholavira and Lothal in present-day India show how widely the culture spread.
Planned cities and drainage
Its cities were built with streets laid out in a grid, houses made of standardised baked bricks, and covered drains. Mohenjo-daro's Great Bath is one of the earliest public water structures known. This level of planning was remarkable for the third millennium BCE.
Trade, craft and writing
Merchants used carved stone seals and standardised weights. Goods such as beads and cotton textiles were exchanged, and finds in Mesopotamia show long-distance trade. The Indus script appears on thousands of seals but has never been deciphered, so much about the society's beliefs and government is still unknown.
Why did it decline?
From about 1900 BCE the big cities were gradually abandoned. Scholars debate the causes. Changes in the monsoon and shifting rivers are commonly proposed, and there is no single agreed explanation.
Key facts
- Mature phase: about 2600-1900 BCE
- Main region: Indus basin in Pakistan and north-west India
- Famous for: planned cities, drainage, seals, standard weights
- Script: not yet deciphered