The Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization that flourished along the Indus River and Ghaggar-Hakra River in what is now Pakistan and northwest India from 3300 BC to 1700 BC. Major cities of the civilization included Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, which had advanced sewage and drainage systems. The civilization engaged in extensive trade with Mesopotamia and other regions. While much remains unknown about the civilization, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of their advanced urban planning, systems of weights and measures, arts and crafts, and religious symbols.

1. INDUS VALLEY
CIVILIZATION
SAJIDA. K

2. Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization that
thrived in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys, now
in Pakistan, along with the northwestern parts of India,
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The civilization, which is
also known as Harappan Civilization, lasted from 3300 BC
to 1700 BC. The discovery of the Ancient Indus River
Valley Civilization was made, when the Harappan city, the
first city of Indus Valley, was excavated.

3. DISCOVERY
The first description of the ruins of Harappa is found in the
Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan and
Punjab of Charles Masson. In the year 1912, J. Fleet discovered
Harappan seals. This incident led to an excavation campaign
under Sir John Hubert Marshall in 1921-1922. The result of the
excavation was discovery of Harappa by Sir John Marshall, Rai
Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni and Madho Sarup Vats and
Mohenjodaro by Rakhal Das Banerjee, E. J. H. MacKay, and Sir
John Marshall.

4. The three main phases of the Indus Valley Civilization are:
1.Early Harappan (Integration Era)
2.Mature Harappan (Localization Era)
3.Late Harappan (Regionalization Era)
PHASES

5. Cities
Approximately 1052 cities and settlements belonging to the
Indus Valley Civilization have been excavated till date Dockyards,
granaries, warehouses, brick platforms and protective walls have been
found in almost all the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. The
evidence suggests that most city dwellers were traders or artisans,
who lived with others belonging to the same occupation in well-
defined neighborhoods. Social equality seems to be widely prevalent
in the cities of Indus Valley, though there are some houses that are
bigger than the others.

6. Science
The people of Indus Valley are believed to be amongst the first to
develop a system of uniform weights and measures. Their smallest
division was approximately 1.704 mm. Decimal division of
measurement was used for all practical purposes. The brick weights
were in a perfect ratio of 4:2:1. The numerous inventions of the
Indus River Valley Civilization include an instrument used for
measuring whole sections of the horizon and the tidal dock. The
people of Harappa evolved new techniques in metallurgy and
produced copper, bronze, lead and tin. They also had the
knowledge of proto-dentistry and the touchstone technique of
gold testing.

7. Arts and Culture
Various sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry and figurines in
terracotta, bronze and steatite, etc., have been excavated from the
sites of the Ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Other crafts that have
been unearthed include shell works, ceramics, agate, glazed steatite
bead making, special kind of combs, etc. There is also evidence of
seals, toys, games and stringed musical instruments in the Indus
Valley.

8. Trade and Transportation
Trade seems to the major occupation of the people of the
Harappan Civilization. The main forms of transport include
bullock carts and boats. Archaeologists have also discovered an
enormous, dredged canal and docking facility at the coastal city
of Lothal. The pottery, seals, figurines, ornaments, etc, of the
civilization show great similarities with those of Central Asia
and the Iranian plateau, indicating trade with them. Then, there
are signs of maritime trade network between the Harappan and
Mesopotamian civilizations also.

9. Agriculture
The major cultivated cereal crop was naked six-row barley, a
crop derived from two-row barley. However, not much information
is available on the farmers and their agricultural methods.

10. Symbol System
As many as 400 distinct Indus symbols have been
found on seals, ceramic pots and other materials
excavated from the Indus Valley. Typical Indus
inscriptions are, at the most, four or five characters in
length and quite small. The longest inscription on any
object is 26 symbols long. Indus symbols have been
found on ritual objects also, many of which were mass-
produced.

11. Religion
The large number of figurines found in the Indus Valley
Civilization suggests that the Harappan people worshipped a
Mother Goddess, who symbolized fertility. Some of the seals
of that time also have the swastikas engraved on them. Then,
there are some others in which a figure is seated in a yoga-like
posture and is surrounded by animals. The figure is quite
similar to that of Lord Pashupati, the Lord of Creatures.