Indus Valley Civilisation

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, was one of the world’s oldest urban civilizations, flourishing in what is now modern-day India and Pakistan between 3300 and 1300 BCE. The Indus River, which flows through the region where the civilization’s key ruins were unearthed, inspired its name.

Pic Credit- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

First Urban Civilisation of South Asia
Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations are contemporaries to Indus Valley Civilisation.

Important IVC sites

Site	Location	Important Findings
Harappa	Situated on the banks of the river Ravi in Punjab (Pakistan).	Sandstone statues of Human Anatomy Granaries Bullock carts Mother Goddess
Mohenjo-Daro (Also called Mound of Dead) (UNESCO World Heritage Site)	Situated on the Bank of River Indus in Punjab (Pakistan)	Great bath Granary Bronze dancing girl Seal of Pasupathi Mahadev Steatite statue of Bearded man A piece of woven cotton
Sutkagendor	In southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistan on the Dast river	A trading point between Harappa and Babylon
Chanhudaro	Sindh (Pakistan) on the Indus River	Bead making The footprint of dog chasing the cat
Amri	Rajasthan on the bank of the Ghaggar River	Antelope evidence
Kalibangan	Rajasthan on the bank of the Ghaggar river	Fire altar Camel bones Wooden plough
Lothal	Gujarat on the Bhogva River near Gulf of Cambay	Dockyard Rice husk Fire altars Chess playing
Surkotada	Gujarat	Bones of horses Beads
Banawali	Haryana	Beads Barley Evidence of both pre-Harappan and Harappan culture
Dholavira (UNESCO World Heritage Site)	Gujarat in Rann of Kachchh	Water harnessing system Water reservoir
Rakhigarhi	Haryana	Granary Cemetery Drains Terracotta bricks
Ropar (The first site to be excavated after independence.)	On the banks of River Sutlej in Punjab, India	The dog buried with a human in oval pit burials Copper axe.
Alamgirpur	Meerut, Uttar Pradesh on the banks of Yamuna – Easternmost site of IVC.	Broken blade made of copper Ceramic items Impression of a cloth on a trough
Mehrgarh	Pakistan	Pottery Copper tools
Kot Diji	Pakistan	Statues of Bull
Daimabad (southernmost site of IVC)	Maharashtra	Bronze Chariot
Mand (Northernmost site)	Jammu and Kashmir

Phases of Harappan Civilisation

Early/Pre-Harappan Phase (3500 BCE-2500 BCE)
- This phase is also linked to the Hakra Phase, which is found in the Ghaggar-Hakra River Valley.
- This era includes the oldest specimens of the Indus Script, which date back to 3000 BCE.
  - This period was most likely characterised by centralised authority and a more urban way of life.
  - During the Early Harappan Phase, trade networks were also created.
  - Moreover, evidence of crop cultivation such as peas, sesame seeds, dates, cotton, and so on exists throughout this time.
Mature Harappan Phase (2500 BCE – 1800 BCE)
- Urban centres like Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, etc developed.
Late Harappan Phase (1800 BCE – 1500 BCE)
- Gradual decline of IVC.