Indus Valley

Ms. BerrySocial Studies

6th Grade

Indus Valley Civilization

• Present day Pakistan, parts of Afghanistan, and northern India

• 2500 B.C. ; not long after the Fertile Crescent and Nile Valley were settled

• Three major cities: – Harappa – Mohenjo-Daro– Lothal

• Sometimes called the Harappan Civilization

Mohenjo-Daro

• Model of city planning• Straight wide streets; 30 feet wide • Rectangular blocks • Walled fortress built on a platform in western

part of city which protected the government buildings, bathhouse, and storage shed

• Shed- 30 feet tall and 1200 feet long; enough grain to feed the 45,000 people

Buildings

• Made of sun-dried bricks • Wealthy lived in brick buildings • Most people lived in small huts surrounding

the city • Houses were two stories high, had a

courtyard, and rooms for servants. • Opened onto alleys rather than main streets• Front of house had no windows

Bathing and Trash

• Almost every house had its own bathroom• Showered by pouring water over themselves

from jugs• Run off water flowed through brick pipes into a

city drain system that ran along the main streets

• Each house had a trash chute to empty trash into a bin in the street; which was then collected by city workers

Life in the City

• Look at the picture. • Answer the questions.

A Mystery?

Ended quickly in 1500 B.C. Victims of earthquake or flood? Attacked by invader?

Houses appear to be abandoned and people appear as if they were running away from something.

Video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uasE8pum8g8

• Video on