The Civilizations of the Indus Valley Region
The people if the Indus River valley and their culture
Location
Location
Ancient Civilizations
Early People: The Harappans
• Ancient Indian group of people around Indus Valley• Trade networks linked this culture with related
regional cultures and distant sources of raw materials.
• Domesticated crops included peas, sesame seeds, dates and cotton.
• Domestic animals also used, such as the water buffalo.
• Mud brick for building.
Why Indus Valley?
• The Indus Valley contained numerous natural resources that were an important part of Harappan civilization.
• Resources included:– Fresh water and timber.– Materials such as gold, silver, semi-precious
stones.– Marine resources.
Two Major Cities
Two Major Cities
The similarities in plan and construction between Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa indicate that they were part of a unified government with extreme organization.
– Both cities were constructed of the same type and shape of bricks.
– The two cities may have existed simultaneously and their sizes suggest that they served as capitals of their provinces.
(slide 9) Mohenjo-Daro•Population c. 40,000
•Regional center• Layout, architecture suggests public purpose• Broad streets, citadel, pool, sewage
•Standardized weights evident throughout region
•Specialized labor
•Trade
Aerial View
The Great Bath
• The "great bath" is the earliest public water tank.
• It is 36 feet long, 21 feet wide, and at its deepest just over 7 feet deep
• Two staircases lead down into the tank from• At the foot of the stairs is a small ledge with a
brick edging that extends the entire width of the pool.
TechnologyThis is the plug of the great bath.
Harppan society was the first to have drainage and sewer systems
Streets and Wells
• Evidence of streets off of main roads going into smaller neighborhoods.
• Wells for the community were dotted across the town.
Artists Conceptionby Chris Sloan, courtesy of JM Kenoyer
(Slide 15)
• Stop and Summarize
Do your notes look like this?
END
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