INDUS VALLEY

CIVILIZATION
Introduction
 The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization in the northwestern
regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from
2600 BCE to 1900 BCE.

 Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of
the Near East and South Asia.

 The civilization's cities were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses,
elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential
buildings, and new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving)
and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin).
❑ The Indus Valley Civilization is named after the Indus river system.
❑ Two main cities of this civilization are Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
❑ The large cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa very likely grew to contain between 30,000 and 60,000
individuals, and the civilization itself during its florescence may have contained between one and five million
individuals.
❑ The Indus civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization.
❑ Harappa, the first of its sites to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab
province of British India and now is Pakistan.
❑ There were however earlier and later cultures often called Early Harappan and Late Harappan in
the same area; for this reason, the Harappan civilization is sometimes called the Mature
Harappan to distinguish it from these other cultures.
❑ By 2002, over 1,000 Mature Harappan cities and settlements had been reported, of which just
under a hundred had been excavated.
❑ However, there are only five major urban sites. Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Dholavira, Ganeriwala,
and Rakhigarhi.
 Chronology
Dates Main Phase Mehrgarh phases Harappan phases Post-Harappan phases Era

Mehrgarh I and Bhirrana

7000–5500 BCE Pre-Harappan Early Food Producing Era
(aceramic Neolithic)

Mehrgarh II–VI
5500–3300 BCE Pre-Harappan/Early Harappan[72]
(ceramic Neolithic)

Harappan 1
3300–2800 BCE Regionalisation Era
(Ravi Phase; Hakra Ware)
c. 4000–2500/2300 BCE (Shaffer)
c. 5000–3200 BCE (Coningham & Young) [74]
Early Harappan[72]
c. 3300–2800 BCE (Mughal) [75][72][76]
c. 5000–2800 BCE (Kenoyer)[72]
Harappan 2
2800–2600 BCE Mehrgarh VII (Kot Diji Phase,
Nausharo I)

2600–2450 BCE Harappan 3A (Nausharo II)

2450–2200 BCE Mature Harappan (Indus Valley Civilisation) Harappan 3B Integration Era

2200–1900 BCE Harappan 3C

1900–1700 BCE Harappan 4

Cemetery H[77]
Late Harappan Localisation Era
Ochre Coloured Pottery[77]
1700–1300 BCE Harappan 5

Regionalisation
Painted Grey Ware (1200–600 BCE)
1300–600 BCE c. 1200–300 BCE (Kenoyer) [72]
Vedic period (c. 1500–500 BCE)
c. 1500[78]–600 BCE (Coningham & Young) [79]

Post-Harappan
Iron Age India

Northern Black Polished Ware (Iron Age) (700–

600–300 BCE 200 BCE) Integration[79]
Second urbanisation (c. 500–200 BCE)
  The majority of the cities were constructed in a highly uniform and
Authority and well-planned grid pattern, suggesting they were planned by a central

Governance authority; extraordinary uniformity of Harappan artefacts as evident in

pottery, seals, weights and bricks; presence of public facilities and
monumental architecture; heterogeneity in the mortuary symbolism and
in grave goods

 These are some major theories:

 There was a single state, given the similarity in artefacts, the evidence
for planned settlements, the standardised ratio of brick size, and the
establishment of settlements near sources of raw material.

 There was no single ruler but several cities like Mohenjo -Daro had a
separate ruler, Harappa another, and so forth.

 Harappan society had no rulers, and everybody enjoyed equal status.

  The people of the Indus Civilization achieved great accuracy in
measuring length, mass, and time. They were among the first to
develop a system of uniform weights and measures.

 A comparison of available objects indicates large scale variation

Technology across the Indus territories. Their smallest division, which is marked
on an ivory scale found in Lothal in Gujarat, was approximately
1.704 mm, the smallest division ever recorded on a scale of
the Bronze Age.

 Harappans evolved some new techniques in metallurgy and produced

copper, bronze, lead, and tin.
  Various sculptures, seals, bronze vessels pottery, gold jewellery, and
anatomically detailed figurines in terracotta, bronze, and steatite have been
found at excavation sites.

 The Harappans also made various toys and games, among them
cubical dice (with one to six holes on the faces), which were found in sites like
Art and Crafts Mohenjo-Daro.

 A number of gold, terracotta and stone figurines of girls in dancing poses

reveal the presence of some dance form. These terracotta figurines included
cows, bears, monkeys, and dogs. The animal depicted on a majority of seals at
sites of the mature period has not been clearly identified. Part bull, part zebra,
with a majestic horn, it has been a source of speculation.

 Many crafts including, "shell working, ceramics, and agate and glazed steatite
bead making" were practiced and the pieces were used in the making of
necklaces, bangles, and other ornaments from all phases of Harappan culture.
 Human statuettes

 A handful of realistic statuettes have been found at IVC sites, of which much the most
famous is the lost-wax casting bronze statuette of a slender-limbed Dancing Girl adorned
with bangles, found in Mohenjo-Daro. Two other realistic statuettes have been found in
Harappa in proper stratified excavations, which display near-Classical treatment of the
human shape: the statuette of a dancer who seems to be male, and a red jasper male torso,
both now in the Delhi National Museum.
 Seals
 Thousands of steatite seals have been recovered, and their physical character is fairly
consistent. In size they range from squares of side 2 to 4 cm ( 3⁄ 4 to 1 1⁄ 2 in). In most cases
they have a pierced boss at the back to accommodate a cord for handling or for use as
personal adornment.
The Great Bath
 The Great Bath is part of a large citadel complex that was found in the 1920s during
excavations of Mohenjo-Daro, one of the main centers of the Indus civilization.
The bath is built of fine brickwork and measures 897 square feet (83 square meters). It is
8 feet (2.5 meters) lower than the surrounding pavement.

 The Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro is called the "earliest public water tank of the ancient
world"

 Two wide staircases, one from the north and one from the south, served as the entry to
the structure
❑ A one meter wide and 40 centimeters high mound is present at the ends of these stairs. A hole was
also found at one end of the Bath which might have been used to drain the water into it.

❑ The floor of the tank was watertight due to finely fitted bricks and mud laid on edge with a kind of
plaster, and the side walls were constructed in a similar manner.

❑ The preserved columns had stepped edges that may have held wooden screens or window frames.
Two large doors lead into the complex from the south and other access was from the North and
East. A series of rooms were located along the eastern edge of the building and in one room was a
well that may have supplied some of the water needed to fill the tank. Rainwater also may have
been collected for the purpose, but no inlet drains have been found. It may have had a long bathing
pool built with waterproof bricks.
Granery

 The so-called "granary" of Harappa is found on Mound F. It is a brick structure that was
built on a massive brick foundation over 45 meters north south and 45 meters east -west.
Two rows of six rooms that appear to be foundations are arranged along a central
passageway that is about 7 meters wide and partly paved with baked bricks. Each room
measures 15.2 by 6.1 meters and has three sleeper walls with air space between them. A
wooden superstructure supported in some places by large columns would have been built
on top of the brick foundations, with stairs leading up from the central passage area.
Small triangular opening may have served as air ducts to allow the flow of fresh air
beneath the hollow floors.
Most scholars agree that there is little evidence
for the construction of massive granaries at
either Mohenjo-Daro or Harappa and that these
structures should only be seen as evidence for
large public buildings. Rulers and state officials
probably did meet in such large public
buildings and many of them may have been
used for specific religious functions, but their
specific function will always remain a mystery
Public well
 A large public well and public bathing platforms were found in the southern part of Mound
AB at Harappa. These public bathing areas may also have been used for washing clothes as
is common in many traditional cities in Pakistan and India today. Wells were also found in
houses.
  Each city in the Indus Valley was surrounded by
massive walls and gateways. Each part of the city was
City walls made up of walled sections. The walls were built to
control trade and also to stop the city from being
flooded.

 The walls were high because they

served as retaining walls. As people continued to live in
one place, they rebuilt their houses many times on
top of the foundations of the earlier structures.

 Ancient Indus valley civilization was known for the

strength of its walls which stood strong for thousands of
years. These bricks were watertight due to the presence
of natural tar and coated with plaster for extra strength
of the walls
The Dancing Girl

 Dancing Girl is a prehistoric bronze sculpture made in lost-wax casting about c. 2300–
1750 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilization city of Mohenjo-Daro.

 The statue is 10.5 centimeters (4.1 in) tall, and depicts a naked young woman or girl
with stylized proportions standing in a confident, naturalistic pose. Dancing Girl is well-
regarded as a work of art, and is a cultural artefact of the Indus Valley Civilization.

 The statuette was discovered by British archaeologist .

❑ This statue is a cultural artifact reflecting the aesthetics of a female body as conceptualized during that historical
period.
❑ The bronze girl was made using the lost-wax casting technique and shows the expertise of the people in making
bronze works during that time.
❑ The statuette was named “Dancing Girl” based on an assumption of her profession. She is one of two bronze
artworks found at Mohenjo-Daro that shows a more natural pose than compared to other more formal figures.
❑ The statuette has large eyes, a flat nose, healthy cheeks, curly hair, and a broad forehead. She is a tall figure with
long legs and arms, high neck, subdued belly, and sensuously modeled.
❑ The girl wears some bangles and a necklace. She has 25 bracelets on her left arm and four bangles on her right arm
and is holding an object in her left hand. Her long hair styled as big bun rested on her shoulder.
  Seated male sculpture, or "Priest King" from Mohenjo-Daro. Fillet or ribbon
headband with circular inlay ornament on the forehead and similar but
Bearded man smaller ornament on the right upper arm. The two ends of the fillet fall
along the back and though the hair is carefully combed towards the back of
the head, no bun is present. The flat back of the head may have held a
separately carved bun as is traditional on the other seated figures, or it could
have held a more elaborate horn and plumed headdress.

 Two holes beneath the highly stylized ears suggest that a necklace or other
head ornament was attached to the sculpture. The left shoulder is covered
with a cloak decorated with trefoil, double circle and single circle designs
that were originally filled with red pigment. Drill holes in the center of each
circle indicate they were made with a specialized drill and then touched up
with a chisel. Eyes are deeply incised and may have held inlay. The upper
lip is shaved and a short combed beard frames the face. The large crack in
the face is the result of weathering or it may be due to original firing of this
object.
  The Indus Valley people made terracotta images also
but compared to the stone and bronze statues
Terracotta the terracotta representations of human form are crude
in the Indus Valley. They are more realistic in Gujarat
sites and Kalibangan. The most important among
the Indus figures are those representing the mother
goddess.

 Archeologists have found many homemade toys in Indus

Valley, the image above depicts two maze toys and dice.
Other toys include animal figurines that have movable
heads, miniature toy carts, and toy monkeys that could
slide down ropes. They even developed a board game
that closely resembles checkers.
Pottery
 Indus Valley Civilization consists chiefly of wheel made wares (although potters'
wheels, being made of wood, have not survived) both plain and painted while the
plain pottery (usually of red clay with or without a fine red slip) is more common than
the painted ware (of red and black colours).
 Characteristics of Indus Valley Civilization Pottery

 The painted decorations consist of horizontal lines of varied thickness, scales, chequers, leaf patterns, lattice
work, palm and pipal trees. Additionally, Birds, fishes and animals are also shown.

 Among the notable shapes found in the Harappan pottery are pedestal, dishes, goblets, cylindrical vessels
perforated all over and various kinds of bowls.

 The uniformity in the forms and paintings on the pottery is difficult to explain and normally the explanation of
this uniformity is the fact that the local potters made the pottery. However, it is still unclear how such a large area
exhibited a uniform pottery tradition.

 Although the Indus pottery is mostly represented by the plain bases but few ring bases discovered were on
handmade pottery, which was supposed to be baked at home.

 Pottery made on potter's wheel and burnt in kilns, has shown marks of stamp which might indicate that a few
varieties of vessels were traded also.
 Types of Pottery

 Different types of pottery such as glazed(earliest example of its kind in the ancient world), incised, polychrome, perforated and
knobbed were used by Harappan people.

 Polychrome pottery (created when 3 or more mineral colors are used to decorate a hand built ceramic) was rare and mainly
comprised small vases decorated with geometric patterns mostly in red, black and green and less frequently in white and
yellow simultaneously incised ware is also rare and the incised decoration was confined to the bases of the pans.

 Perforated pottery was probably used for straining liquor since it has small holes all over the wall and a large hole at the
bottom.

 The decoration on the outside with knobs is a special feature of Knobbed pottery.

 The Harappan pottery includes goblets, basins, flasks, dishes, cylindrical bottles, tumblers (flat -bottomed), narrow necked
vases, spouted vases, corn measures and a special type of dish on a stand which was a offering stand or incense holder.
 Mother Goddess

 It was widely suggested that the Harappan people worshipped a Mother

goddess.

 A mother goddess in the Harappan civilization represented nature, who

had the power of giving life on earth. The mother goddess also denoted
as mother earth, a symbol of creation, motherhood, and fertility.

 It is a standing female figure adorned with necklaces hanging over

prominent breasts and wearing a loin cloth and girdle. The fan shaped
head dress with a cup like projection on each side is a distinct
decorative feature of the mother goddess. Pellet eyes and beaked nose of
the figures are very crude, and the mouth is indicated by a silt.
 Bull seal, Harappa
 The majestic zebu bull, with its heavy dewlap and wide curving horns is perhaps the most impressive motif
found on the Indus seals. Generally carved on large seals with relatively short inscriptions, the zebu motif is
found almost exclusively at the largest cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.

 The rarity of zebu seals is curious because the humped bull is a recurring theme in many of the ritual and
decorative arts of the Indus region, appearing on painted pottery and as figurines long before the rise of
cities and continuing on into later historical times. The zebu bull may symbolize the leader of the herd,
whose strength and virility protects the herd and ensures the procreation of the species or it stands for a
sacrificial animal. When carved in stone, the zebu bull probably represents the most powerful clan or top
officials of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
 Beads and Ornaments
 This collection of gold and agate ornaments includes
objects found at both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. At
the top are fillets of hammered gold that would have
been worn around the forehead. The
other ornaments include bangles, chokers, long pendant
necklaces, rings, earrings, conical hair ornaments, and
broaches. Such ornaments were never buried with the
dead, but were passed on from one generation to the
next. These ornaments were hidden under the floors in
the homes of wealthy merchants or goldsmiths.


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