The Indus River Civilization

Egypt left behind pyramids, and Mesopotamia left ziggurats. Both were remembered in ancient stories and legends. But a third advanced civilization remained forgotten until 1856, when British engineers in present-day Pakistan needed crushed stone to support new train rails. Nearby, they found millions of ancient, identical baked bricks from the ruins of a lost city.

A Forgotten Civilization

The engineers crushed the bricks to level their tracks, but decades later, archaeologists returned to investigate. They eventually discovered more than 1,500 other settlements stretching over 1,000 miles across an area larger than Texas.

Unlike the Nile, the Indus is part of a vast river system that created a web of fertile farmland hundreds of miles from the main river. Seasonal floods spread rich silt and soaked the soil like a sponge. As floodwaters receded, the soaked soil provided fertile farmland for growing crops.

Indus Writing

Thousands of inscribed objects show that the people of the Indus River Valley developed a writing system. Archaeologists have not yet deciphered it because the inscriptions are so short that trying to understand them is like trying to piece together a language from confetti. As a result, their government, religion, and social structure remain a mystery.

Harappa and Mohenjo Daro

The civilization contained thousands of settlements, including several large cities. Two of the best known are Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. Both were planned on a grid of wide, straight streets and surrounded by thick walls. Many people lived in sturdy brick houses with as many as three floors. Some houses had bathrooms and toilets connected to the world’s first sewer system. Farmers grew wheat and barley, while herders raised sheep, cattle, and goats.

Common Standards and Distant Trade

The ancient people of the Indus River Valley used precise, standardized weights and measures. Even bricks in different cities were made to the same proportions. Common standards made it easier to trade cotton, lumber, grain, and livestock across the civilization. Indus trade reached well beyond their region, with Indus beads discovered thousands of miles away in Mesopotamia.

Egypt had pharaohs, and Mesopotamia had powerful rulers like Hammurabi. But archaeologists have found no royal palaces or tombs in the Indus cities. There are no monuments celebrating great rulers or victories in war. Evidence suggests that the cities relied heavily on cooperation and trade.

Everyday Life

Archaeologists have also found clues to everyday life. Adults wore jewelry, artisans made decorated pottery, and people played board games with dice. Children played with clay carts, animals with movable parts, spinning tops, rattles, and whistles.

Decline

The Indus River civilization developed around 3000 BCE and flourished for about 1,500 years, growing to a population of more than five million people. Around 1700 BCE, the civilization began to decline, and by 1500 BCE, most cities were abandoned.

Archaeologists have many theories about why the civilization collapsed, but no definite answers. One strong possibility is environmental change. Over time, monsoons weakened and rains failed, creating severe droughts. Rivers shifted course or dried up completely, cutting off water supplies and making farming more difficult. As conditions became more difficult, people gradually abandoned the great cities for smaller rural villages.

The Story Is Still Unfolding

Archaeologists have excavated only a fraction of the many cities and settlements of the Indus River Valley civilization, so our understanding of the region is still evolving. Perhaps one day scholars will decipher the Indus writing and finally allow these ancient voices to speak for themselves.