We have discussed here all the salient features of Indus Valley Civilization. This article will provide a better insight into the history of ancient Indus Civilization.
Salient Features of Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization also gets recognition as the Harappa Civilization.
In the case of Harappan culture, distinctive objects include seals, beads, weights, stone blades and even baked bricks.
The Harappan seal is possibly the most distinctive artefact of the Harappan or Indus valley civilization. Seals were discovered at Harappa by archaeologists Daya Ram Sahni in the early decades of the 20th century (in 1921).
Another archaeologist, Rakhal Das Banerji found similar seals at Mohenjodaro, leading to the conjecture that these sites were part of a single archeological culture.
Based on these finds, John Marshall, Director-General of the ASI, announced the discovery of a new civilization in the Indus valley to the world.
Harappa is located in the Montgomery district (currently it is Sahiwal district) of Punjab province, Pakistan.
Salient Features of Indus Valley Civilization
Mohenjodaro is located on the right bank of the Indus River in Larkana District, Sindh, Pakistan.
According to the Stuart Piggott, the two cities, Harappa and Mohenjodaro were “Twin capital of an Extensive Kingdom”.
Harappa is located at the left bank of Ravi River.
The carbon-14 (C14) dating process indicates the Harappan period to be from 2300 BC to 1700 BC. During the period 2300 BC to 1900 B.C., the growth of this civilization was at its peak.
Mesopotamia and Egyptian civilization are contemporary to the Indus civilization.
The three major cities of Indus valley civilization- Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Dholavira were the large towns.
The vast mounds were first reported by Charles Masson in 1826.
Harappa had two mounds, the eastern side mound was known as city mound and the western one was called as castle mound.
The first artefact uncovered in Harappa was a unique stone seal carved with a unicorn and an inscription.
Mohenjodaro geta recognition as “Mound of the dead men” in Sindhi language.
Rakhal Das Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro in 1922.
The most important public place of Mohenjodaro seems to be Great bath. Ritual bathing used to occur there.
Salient Features of Indus Valley Civilization
In Mohenjodaro, the archeologists found a large building. This is in the northeast direction of great bath, with the dimension 70.1 x 23.77 meters. This
building, perhaps meant for the residence of a very high official, possibly the high priest himself, or a college of priests.
The main quality of Mohenjodaro was their roads. The main road had a width of 9.15 meters, which was Rajpath.
The artefacts found from Mohenjodaro are mother goddess idol, dancing girl statue, a seated male soapstone (Priest-King), Pashupati (Shiva) seal, bones of elephants, and skeleton in the wells, teeth of elephants, evidence of cotton cloth, etc.
Lothal is on the Bhogava River in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat. It got the discovery in the hand of S.R. Rao in 1954.
Lothal city on the basis of planning and material goods seems to be micro Harappa or micro Mohenjodaro city. It had all the evidence of Rice husk, metal workers, shell ornament makers, bead makers shop, fire altars, terra cotta figurine of a horse, a terracotta model of a ship, Persian seal, painted jar, etc.