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Indus Valley Civilisation

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Ruins of Mohenjo-daro, an ancient city with the Great Bath in the front and granary mound in the back.

The Indus Valley Civilisation

The Indus Valley Civilisation was one of the world’s earliest big societies. It lived along the Indus River and nearby areas. This civilisation was very old, starting around 3300 BCE and lasting until around 1300 BCE. It was one of the first big places where people built cities and farmed together.

People lived in wonderful cities like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. These cities had neat rows of houses made from baked bricks. They even had good drainage systems to keep water away. Imagine streets with drains under them to keep things clean! These cities were some of the biggest in the world at that time.

The civilisation was named after the Indus River, where the first clues about it were found. It covered a huge area, stretching across parts of modern-day Pakistan, northwestern India, and even into Afghanistan. People lived near rivers, which gave them water for farming and daily life.

Even though we have found many old cities and things they used, we still do not understand their writing. The people of the Indus Valley Civilisation had their own special symbols, but we have not yet learned how to read them. Researchers keep searching and studying to learn more about this amazing ancient world.

Images

Ancient Harappan terra-cotta figurines from around 2500 BCE, showcasing early craftsmanship and toy models.
Map showing important locations of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, which thrived over 4,000 years ago across parts of modern-day Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.
Portrait of Alexander Cunningham, the founder of the Archaeological Survey of India.
A map showing the locations and extent of the Indus Valley Civilization during its early phase (3300-2600 BCE).
An ancient ceramic boat shaped like a bull from the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back to around 2800–2600 BCE.
An ancient granary and great hall at the archaeological site of Harappa in Pakistan.
An ancient drainage system at Lothal, an important archaeological site in India.
Ancient steps of a stepwell at Dholavira, a major city from the Indus Valley Civilization in India.
An ancient balance and weights from the Harappan (Indus Valley) Civilization, displayed in the India National Museum in New Delhi.
An ancient ceremonial vessel from the Indus Valley Civilization, made of terracotta with black paint, dating back to around 2600–2450 B.C.
Ancient stone weights from the Indus Valley Civilization, showing early standardized measurement tools.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Indus Valley Civilisation, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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