Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BCE–1900 BCE)
The Harappan Civilization, popularly known as the Indus Valley Civilization, is the most widespread civilization of the Ancient World, extending from modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan to north-west India. The earliest Harappan people gathered around the Indus River’s basin, establishing farming settlements at first. Important Indus Valley Civilization sites are: Harappa, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Mohenjodaro, Ganweriwala, Lothal, Kalibangan, Surkotada, etc.
Indus Valley Civilization
Many of the cities in the Harappan civilization were divided into two or more parts. The eastern part of the city was lower but larger in size. The western part of the city was higher, but it was smaller in size. This is known as the Citadel.
Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization)
It is said that people of the Indus Valley Civilization used to worship nature (mother goddess) and yoni, which were also seen as signs of fertility, along with fire, and animals like the ox and unicorn were worshipped as well. Pashupati Mahadev was known as the lord of the animals. Apart from this, the Priest King is also quite popular.
Harappan Civilization: Urban Planning
The streets of the Harappan civilization were aligned with well-planned cities that had a proper system of waste disposal, lighting, drainage, and water supply. It had a well-structured drainage system. Each house had a proper drainage system that was connected to the streets’ drains.
Houses in the cities were well planned. Materials used for building purposes were bricks, which were either sun-dried or baked. Houses had separate bathing areas. The houses had one or two stories.
It is said that the local people had a writing system that has not been deciphered to date. The Harappans were also great mathematicians. But what is striking is that archaeologists have found no traces of warfare or mass violence. It is estimated that they lived without armor and weapons for more than 700 years. They were a group of peaceful people who traded amicably with neighboring civilizations. Perhaps it was their disinterest in war that led to their downfall at the hands of Central Asian invaders. Other historians, however, claim the decline of the Harappan civilization was due to a great flood.
Oldest Civilization In The World
Oldest Civilization In The World: Mesopotamia is the oldest civilization in the world. The four oldest civilizations in the world are the Mesopotamia Civilization, the Egyptian Civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization, and the Chinese Civilization. Civilization means the existence of a complex society with certain features, such as the development of the state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic communication systems beyond natural spoken language, namely a writing system.
Read below to learn about the oldest civilizations of the world, including Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indus Valley, and Mayan civilizations, in-depth.
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