{"id":87429,"date":"2021-12-09T16:22:48","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T10:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveboard.in\/blog\/?p=87429"},"modified":"2021-12-09T16:22:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T10:52:49","slug":"indus-valley-civilization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveboard.in\/blog\/indus-valley-civilization\/","title":{"rendered":"Indus Valley Civilization- Discovery, Recovery, Decline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong> (IVC), also known as Harappan Civilization, was the beginning of the history of India. The civilization is dated between 2600 BC and 1900 BC, after which it started declining. Out of the world\u2019s four ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, the Indus Valley Civilization <\/strong>is considered the largest. It is also known as the bronze age civilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take Your Mock Test Here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Discovery And Recovery Of The <\/strong>Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the year 1912, John Fleet working with the Indian Civil Services discovered several Harappan seals, which led to an excavation campaign by the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, John Marshall. This resulted in discovering two old cities, i.e. Harappa in the Punjab region in 1921 and then Mohenjo-Daro in 1922 near the Indus River in the Sindh region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important Sites Of Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Site<\/strong><\/td>Location<\/strong><\/td>Importance<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Harappa<\/td>Punjab(Pakistan)<\/td>Infrastructure: World\u2019s first known Urban Sanitation systemWell-ordered wastewater drainage and trash collection system Considered to be more advanced than urban sites of the Middle East 
 Architecture: Presence of dockyards, granaries, warehouses, brick platforms Massive Walls to protect the Harappan from floods and other military conflicts



TechnologyHad great knowledge in working with copper, bronze, and tin and used various new techniques in metallurgy<\/td><\/tr>
Mohenjo-Daro<\/td>Larkana district of Punjab(Pakistan)<\/td>Architecture:A large and public bathing and a social area called the \u201cGreat Bath.\u201dIncludes advanced architecture such as granaries, dockyards, warehouses, etc.
Art:A figure of \u201cPriest-King\u201d displaying beard and patterned robe.Statuette named \u201cDancing girl\u201d shows a female figure in a dance form which is 11 cm high and 4000 years old.  Includes sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewellery and terracotta figurines. 
Religion:A seal called the \u201cPashupati Seal\u201d shows an image of the three-eyed figure, which is believed to be an early form of Lord Shiva.A seal showing a half-human, half buffalo monster attacking a tiger.<\/td><\/tr>
Chanhudaro<\/td>Sindh on the Indus river<\/td>Known as the \u201cLancashire of India\u201dConsidered to be centre for manufacturing of carnelian beadsArchaeologists have found copper artefacts, including knives, spears, razors, axes, tools, etc.Discovery of a small pot which is thought to be an inkpot <\/td><\/tr>
Lothal<\/td>Gujarat<\/td>Architecture:World\u2019s earliest known dockyardConsidered to be 22m long and 37m wide.Considered to be the greatest work of maritime architecture
Technical Advancement:Provided accommodation to craftsmen, coppersmiths, goldsmiths, and bead-makersHundreds of carnelian beads, tools, and raw material were recovered, signifying highly skilled bead makers. <\/td><\/tr>
Surkotada<\/td>Gujarat<\/td>Harappans built a fortified citadel & residential annexe made out of mud brick, mud lumps, and rubble. A good number of bones of horses were also recovered. Horse remains were 1% of all animal remains.<\/td><\/tr>
Dholavira<\/td>Gujarat<\/td>Considered being a remarkable and well-preserved urban settlementA hub of manufacturing jewellery made of shells and semi-precious stones like agate Cascading series of water reservoirsArtefacts include gold and copper ornaments, terracotta pottery, beads, etc. <\/td><\/tr>
Kalibangan<\/td>Rajasthan<\/td>The presence of fire altars depicts that people believed in the worship of fire.Discovery of ploughed field along with wooden furrowFound 7 fire altars in a row suggesting the practice of sacrificeCharging bull called the \u201crealistic and powerful folk art of Harappan Age\u201d was found<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Decline Of <\/strong>Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Indus valley civilization came to an end around 1800 BCE. The causes of the decline of this civilization have not been firmly established, but the archaeologist believes it was due to climate change and migration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Climate Change Theory<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The population was dependent on seasonal monsoons rather than developing an irrigation facility. When the monsoon shifted eastward, reducing the water supply, it forced the Harappan to migrate towards the Ganga basin in the East and establish smaller villages and farms. These small villages were unable to continue the trade with Egypt and Mesopotamia. They could not produce agricultural surpluses to support large cities. This led to the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aryan Invasion Theory<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A theory given by British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler states that Indo-European tribes, i.e. Aryans conquered the Indus River Valley. He stated that based on the unburied corpses found in Mohenjo-Daro archaeological sites, they were victims of war. The Aryans were believed to have horses and advanced weapons that led to the defeat of the Harappan people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various scholars later contradicted this theory by stating that it could be skeletons of remains of hasty burials. In later cultures, they found various elements of the Indus Valley Civilization, suggesting civilization did not disappear suddenly due to an invasion. They focused more on the theory that Harappan culture assimilated with the Aryan people during their migration into northwest India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Natural Disasters<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Many believe that Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong> collapsed due to movement in Earth\u2019s crust that led to a dramatic shift in river courses which might have brought a flood to the areas. The cities were closely linked to the river, and hence there was a terrible effect of its flow on them. Due to these natural causes, there was a slow but inevitable collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Which site is declared a UNESCO Heritage Site related to Indus Valley Civilization?<\/strong>

The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro were designated a UNESCO World Heritage in 1980<\/p> <\/div>

What is the \u201cGreat Bath\u201d of Indus Valley Civilization<\/strong>

The \u201cGreat Bath\u201d of Mohenjo-Daro is considered to be the earliest public water tank in history having dimensions of 11 m x 7 m and a depth of 2.43 meters.<\/p> <\/div>

Is the most precise ancient ruler from the Indus Valley Civilization?<\/strong>

The oldest known measuring rod is a copper alloy bar from the IVC. Indus valley people were the first to develop a system of uniform weights & measures. It is said that weights discovered from these sites have shown remarkable accuracy.<\/p> <\/div>

Did Indus Valley People have knowledge of Dentistry?<\/strong>

The oldest evidence for the drilling of human teeth in a living person was found on a site of Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n