Ancient River Valley Civilizations INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION Key

Ancient River Valley Civilizations

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

Key Themes Economic Networks & Exchange Science, Technology & the Environment

INDUS RIVER VALLEY ✕ ✕ Thrived from 3300 -1300 BC in modern day Pakistan and India Very mysterious civilization + The writing has not been translated + ✕ Symbols and pictures are all we have We can only make inferences + What is an inference?

MAKING INFERENCES ✕ The cities were constructed using sophisticated bricklaying and grid pattern technology + Inference:

POLITICAL STRUCTURE ✕ The IVP had a strong and well-organized central government + ✕ We are unsure of the exact political structure + + ✕ The center of government was the citadel → What do you think went on in the Citadel? But it must have been well-organized. . . why? Most likely was departmentalized to coordinate such impressive zoning There were “twin” capitals at Harappa and Mohenjo. Daro

MAKING INFERENCES ✕ Archaeologists have found Indus Valley seals as far away ancient Sumer + Inference:

MAKING INFERENCES ✕ Archaeologists have found many sets of these weighted cubes + Inference:

Economics and Trade ✕They participated in a vast trading network + + imported textiles, food and minerals Exported copper, lumber, precious stones, cotton, and luxury goods Weights and Measurement + The Harappans invented the first system of weights and measurements for trade ✕Basic mathematical concepts ✕ ✕ Urban and Rural populations + City-folk - merchants and craftsmen + Rural fold- farmers and herders ✕Possibly domesticated the elephant, buffalo, antelope rhino, deer and

Observation: IVP left behind stone statues like the one pictured here.

And here. . .

Observation: IVP buried their dead in tomb-like structures full of personal belongings

Contributions of Ancient India Indus Valley Shiva - The highest Hindu God in some hindi sects

INDUS VALLEY RELIGION ✕ Priests were generally in charge ✕ Meditated to connect with the spirit + Indus people worshiped animals ✕ In particular, the bull + Both men and women held spiritual roles + There was a strong belief in the afterlife ✕ + Buried with personal belongings Belief in a soul – or something like it ✕ Ritual bathing was a method to purify the soul

Advancements of the Indus People

The end of the Indus Valley ✕ ✕ No one really knows what happened to the Harappans and people of Mohenjo Daro - but by 1500 bc their civilization was gone Theories + Natural disaster (earthquake, floods) destroyed the cities and the people migrated to other areas → Like East Asia and Mesopotamia ✕ Assimilated with other cultures and beliefs + They moved from the region for some other reason ✕ + Exhausted the soil, used up vital natural resources It is widely believed that they were conquered by other people ✕ The Aryans