Sites of Indus Valley Civilization

The Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Civilization was the culmination of a long and sustained cultural evolution in the Indus Valley and surrounding areas. The term “Indus Valley Civilization” was used by John Marshall for the first time. The people of this civilization were definitely in touch with the other civilizations especially with Mesopotamian civilization.

Extent

As the three of the world’s civilizations developed along the river banks {Egyptian on Nile, Mesopotamian on Tigris–Euphrates, Chinese on the Yangtse}, the Indus valley civilization developed on bank of Indus and several other nearby rivers such as Ghaggar– Hakra, the now dried up Saraswati and the Drasadvati. Centre of the civilization was in Sind and Punjab and from there, it spread in all directions.

Its westernmost point was Suktagendor in South Baluchistan while easternmost point was Alamgirpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. In North, it extended Afghanistan while in South, its extent was up at least Maharashtra state. So far, around 1400 settlements have been discovered, most of which are located on river banks. This civilization was largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, South Asia and China and covered an area of around 1.3 million square kilometers. This area is triangular in shape and no other ancient civilization was extended to such a large area.

Origin and Period

Indus Valley civilization is now considered as a continuation of the neolithic Mehrgarh culture which flourished between 7000BC to 5000BC.  The overall period assigned to Indus Valley Civilization is 3300–1300 BC, with its mature period between 2600 to 1900 BC.

Some people call Indus Valley people as Proto-Dravidians, who might have been pushed to south in mature Harappan phase when Aryans, with their advanced military skills commenced their migration around 2000BC.

Indus Valley Sites

Harappa

Harappa is the first discovered site of this civilization excavated in 1921 by a team led by Daya Ram Sahni. It was a major urban centre during its mature phase surrounded by extensive walls. It is located in Punjab Province, Pakistan, on an old bank / bed of the River Ravi. Its location along old course of Ravi provided access to trade networks, aquatic food and water for drinking and cultivation. Due to this, Harappa remained occupied for a long time. Further, Harappa was also a meeting point of trade routes coming from east.

Archaeologists have divided Harappa in five different phases of which oldest is Ravi aspect / Hakra (3300-2800BC), followed by Kot Dijian or Early Harappa (2800-2600BC) followed by Mature (2600-1900BC), Transitional (1900-1800BC) and Late Harappa (1800-1300BC) phases.

Important Findings of Harappa

The important material findings at Harappa include pottery, chert blades, copper or bronze implements, terracotta figurines, seals and sealing, weights, etc. This apart, the two rows of granaries with brick platforms, a citadel on elevated platform, a supposed workmen’s quarter, vanity case, furnaces, crucibles for bronze smelting etc. have also been found. Harappa also is the only site which yields the evidence of coffin burial. A copper bullock cart is another notable finding.

Mohen-jo Daro

Mohenjo-Daro (mound of dead) was excavated by a team led by R.D. Banerjee in 1922. It is located in the Larkana District of Sindh Pakistan on bank of Indus River.

Important Findings of MohenJo Daro

Notable findings at Mohenjo-Daro are the magnum opus Great Bath, uniform buildings and weights, hidden drains and other hallmarks of the civilization. This is the site where most unicorn seals have been found. Mohenjo-Daro is also sometimes known as largest urban centre of the civilization. The famous bronze dancing girl, seal of supposed Pashupati, steatite statue of bearded priest, numerous terracotta figurines are another notable findings of Mohenjo-Daro.

Great Bath

The most famous building found at Mohenjo-Daro is a great bath. It is a 6×12 meter specimen of beautiful brick work. The water for the bath was provided from a well in an adjacent room. The floor was made up of bricks. Floor and outer walls were bituminized so that there is no leakage of water. There are open porch’s on four sides of the bath.  There is use of Burnt bricks, Mortar and Gypsum in the Great bath but NO use of stone is there.

Kalibangan

Kalibangan (black bangles) is in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. It was located on the banks of now dried up Sarwaswati River; and flourished for at least 5 centuries. The site was first discovered by Italian Luigi Pio Tessitori and was later excavated extensively by A Ghosh.

Important Findings at Kalibangan

The oldest ploughed field, evidence of earliest recorded Earthquake (which might have ended this city itself), Fire-Altars, Charging bull, tiled floor, two kinds of burials (circular and rectangular graves), bones of camels etc. are important findings of Kalibangan. Further, this site was different from Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the following respects:

• The bricks in other sites were baked ones, while Kalibangan bricks are earthen ones.
• There was no drainage system in Kalibangan.

Due to these, Kalibangan is not considered a well planned city as comparable to other important sites of Indus Valley.

Dholovira

Dholavira is located in Rann of Katch of Gujarat. It is relatively a new discovery, excavated in 1990s by a team led by R S Bisht. It had several large reservoirs, an elaborate system of drains to collect water from the city walls and house tops to fill these water tanks.

Dholavira versus Harappa & MohenJo Daro

Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Dholavira are called the nucleus cities of the civilization. Unlike the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro where there are two settlements, in Dholavira 3 citadels or principal divisions have been found which have been duly protected by fortifications. There is an open ground out of the fortifications. In Dholavira there has been found the inner enclosure of the citadel too which has not been found in any other cities of the Harappan culture.

Important Findings of Dholavira

One of the most important findings of Dholavira has been a signboard with Indus Script.

Lothal

Lothal is located in Ahmadabad, Gujarat. It was a coastal town {three important coastal towns of IVC are Lothal, Suktagendor and Balakot} and had different type of town planning. The city was divided into six sections and each section was built on a wide platform of unripe bricks. Entry to the houses were on Main Street while other sites of IVC have lateral entry.

Important Findings of Lothal

Important findings of Lothal include an artificial dockyard {which makes it an important sea link}, rice husk {rice husk has been found only at Lothal and Rangpur}, bead making factory etc. Lothal is thought to have direct sea trade links with Mesopotamia because of finding of an Iranian seal from there.

Suktagendor

Suktagendor was located around 55 kms from the shore of Arabian Sea on the Bank of Dasht River near the Iran Border. It was an important coastal town along with Lothal and Balakot (in Pakistan) and is considered to be the western border of Indus Valley Civilization.  It was originally a port and later cut off from the sea due to coastal upliftment. The conclusion has been drawn up that Suktagendor had trade relationships with Babylon.

Other

Kot Diji

Kot Diji was a pre-harappan site and located on the left bank of River Sindh. This city was destructed by Force or some fire. A tar is the major object found here. Statues of bull and mother goddess are other things found in Kot diji.

Ropar

Ropar in Punjab was excavated under Y D Sharma. There is another site Bara near Ropar, which shows an evidence of the decaying culture of pre harappan era.

Mittathal

Mittathal is located in the Bhiwani district of Haryana. A terracotta cartwheel has been found. Weights of stones have also been found. The evidence of residence outside a Citadel have been found in Mittathal. The site gives evidences of rise, flourishing and fall of Harappa civilization.

Chanhu-Daro

Chanhu Daro is situated 130 kms south of Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh and is the only harappan city which does not have a fortified citadel. The Chanhu Daro has given evidence of factories of various figurines, seals, toys, bone implements so it has been interpreted that it was a settlement with lots of artisans and was an industrial town.

Banawali

Banawali is located in Hissar district of Haryana. High quality barley has been found at Banawali.

Alamgirpur

Alamgirpur is located in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and is considered to be easternmost boundary of Indus Valley. Important findings of Alamgirpur include pottery, plant fossils, animal bones and copper tools.

Surkotda

Surkotda is located in the Bhuj area of Gujarat and has provided evidence of the first actual remains of the horse bones.

Rangpur

Rangpur is located 50 kms from Ahmadabad in Gujarat. This along with Lothal are two sites where rice husk has been found by archaeologists.

Rakhigarhi

Rakhigarhi in Hissar, Haryana is one of the largest sites of Indus Valley.

Bhagatrav

Bhagatrav is located in Bharuch district of Gujarat along the Arabian Sea coast and seems to have remained an important port of the Indus valley.

Salient Common Features of Entire Civilization

The common features of all the Indus valley civilizations are as follows:

• A common script which remains undeciphered so far.
• Proper Town planning in all Indus valley cites except few such as Kalibangan. Presence of cooking area, water reservoir in houses.
• Presence of a fortified citadel in almost all urban centres.
• Presence of residential and non-residential buildings. Absence of temples of special places of worship except few altars at some sites.
• Use of standard weights and measurements
• Pottery of wheels and bead making industries
• Practice of burying the dead.