Category Ancient India

       Do you know how large the largest civilization of the ancient world was? The Indus Valley Civilization covered an area the size of Western Europe! It spread across over 1.3 million square kilometres of land! It was spread out over what is today Pakistan, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

       It has been discovered that the Indus Valley Civilization stretched from Jammu and Kashmir in the north, to the Narmada in the south, and from the Makran coast of Baluchisthan in the west to the River Yamuna in the east.

       Over 1000 sites have been discovered, belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. Is it any wonder that it was considered the largest of the four ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China?

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Do you like to wear ornaments? It is believed that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization were also fond of dressing up and wearing ornaments. Archaeological discoveries from this period suggest that both men and women wore jewellery. Necklaces, beads and amulets were made from gold, silver and semi-precious stones, including carnelian, turquoise and lapis lazuli.

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       The cities of Harappa were well planned, and even had covered drains like those of modern cities. Large areas were built with bricks of the same size and weight. They used kilns to make bricks and used burnt bricks, in domestic and public buildings.

      A Harappan city was divided into two parts. At the centre was the massive citadel. It had temples and granaries, an assembly hall and baths. Around it was what is known as the lower town. The streets were straight and broad.

They were paved, and laid at right angles to each other. The houses had protection against noise, odours, and thieves. Houses faced streets, and were at least two stories high. They had brick staircases leading to the upper levels and the roof.

       Life was centred around an enclosed courtyard, and there was a balcony over the courtyard. Each house had its own well, and one even had a large bathtub!

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       The Harappans knew how to write, and over 2,000 stone seals have been found in the Indus Valley. These seals were small tablets, which left an impression when pressed into a soft substance like clay. They were quadrangular in shape. These seals are some form of writing, but unfortunately, they have not been deciphered yet.

      Harappan writing consists of short strings of symbols. Some say that each symbol represents a picture or idea; others say it represents a sound. The fact, however, is that no one has actually been able to understand or read the writing of the Harappans.

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       One of the most fascinating, yet mysterious cultures of the ancient world is the Harappan Civilization. This culture existed along the Indus River in present day Pakistan. It was named after the city of Harappa, which was the first city of the Indus Valley Civilization to be discovered.

       Farming was an important part of the Harappa way of life. There was plenty of water for good farming. By 4000 BC, people farmed along the banks of the Indus River and by 3000 BC, irrigation began. People also farmed along tributaries, which are small rivers and streams that flow into a larger river. Earthen bunds were also built to control the river’s annual flooding. The farmers ploughed their fields, probably using wooden ploughs. Using a plough made it much easier to grow more crops. The crops that were grown included wheat, barley, peas, melons, rice and sesame. This civilization was the first to cultivate cotton for the production of cloth. Several animals were also domesticated, including the elephant, which was used for its ivory.

       Did you know that some of the cities of the Indus Valley had between 35,000 and 40,000 people living in them? Some of these cities were as big as some modern cities!

       The most important cities were Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Chanhudaro, Kalibangan, Banawali, Lothal, Dholavira, Sutkagendor and Surkotada. The cities of the Indus Valley Civilization were well planned and solidly built of brick and stone. They had drainage systems, wells and water storage systems, as well as systems for weights and trade. The people made jewellery and toys for their children, and even developed a system of writing, which we unfortunately have not been able to decipher until today.

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       Do you know that large mounds sometimes have ancient cities hidden underneath them? In fact, the Indus Valley Civilization was discovered when an archaeologist, R.D. Bannerjee, visited Mohenjo-daro and saw a large mound. He thought there might be something underneath, and started digging. As the mud was gradually removed, an entire city was revealed!

       How was this city covered with mud? When an ancient city began to decline, people left it, and moved elsewhere.

       After hundreds of years, the abandoned buildings crumbled and broke down. The wind blew mud and sand over them, and when rain fell, the mud stuck to the buildings. In this way, the whole city was covered in mud, and as more and more mud and sand were deposited by the wind, a mound was formed. Harappa and the other cities of the Indus Valley Civilization were discovered when such mounds were excavated, or dug up.

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       The Indus Valley Civilization existed around five thousand years ago on the plains of the Indus River. It flourished in the Bronze Age. From about 2600 B.C. to 1700 BC, a vast number of settlements were built on the banks of the Indus River and the surrounding areas.

       These settlements cover a remarkable region, almost 1.3 million square kilometres of land, which is today part of Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwestern India. The Indus Valley Civilization was a great city civilization. In a city civilization, most of the people live in cities. They were artisans and traders, soldiers and administrators. Of course, there were also people living in villages who cultivated the land and raised cattle. The people in the cities got their grain and food from these villages. We must remember though, that the city civilization of the Indus valley developed from the village life of an earlier period. When the villages became too big, they needed a strong administration. They also began to produce excess grain, so that the people could devote themselves to other activities besides farming. This led to the growth of cities and city civilizations like that of the Indus Valley.

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       In addition to Mehrgarh, other famous Neolithic sites in India are in Kashmir and eastern Rajasthan. There were also settlements in the Indus Delta including Punjab and Haryana, Amri, Kot Diji, Rehman Dheri,  Kalibangan and Banawali.

       Burzahom was the first Neolithic site to be discovered in Kashmir. Burzahom means ‘place of birch’ in Kashmiri. This is because there are many birch trees in the area. There is something unusual about the earliest Neolithic homes at Burzahom. They were below ground level. The people dug pits into the ground with the help of stone tools. They plastered the sides of the pits with mud. Living in these pits was a way in which the early Neolithic people of Burzahom tried to keep snug and warm in the bitterly cold winter. After the discovery and excavation of Burzahom, many other Neolithic sites were discovered in Kashmir at places such as Begagund, Gofkral, Hariparigom, Olchibag, Pampur, Panzgom, Sombur Waztal, and Brah. The types of houses and tools at these sites are similar to those of Burzahom. This shows us that the Neolithic cultures in different parts of our country had their own special features.

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        Do you know when Man started farming for the first time? Mehrgarh finds a unique place in history because it was one of the earliest agricultural communities in the world. It was situated in Baluchistan, now in Pakistan, and is one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming. Wheat and barley were grown, and the farmers kept herds of cattle, sheep and goats. The people of Mehrgarh lived in brick houses, and stored their grain in granaries.

       They also learned to line their baskets with clay to make them waterproof. Mehrgarh was occupied from around 7000 BC. Pottery, dating back to around 5000 BC, was discovered there. Beautiful ornaments were also made from conch shells, lapis lazuli and turquoise beads. The first evidence of drilling a tooth on a living person was also discovered in Mehrgarh!

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