Indus Valley Civilization

Study Notes

Franklin D. Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of cultivating the science of human relationships to ensure the survival of civilization.

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, is the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent.
The civilization flourished from 2500-1700 BCE, with the southern sites possibly lasting later into the 2nd millennium BCE.
It is one of the three earliest civilizations, along with Mesopotamia and Egypt, and is the most extensive of the three.

The Indus Valley Civilization existed from 3300-1300 BCE, with its early years (3300-1300 BCE) and mature period (2600-1900 BCE).
The civilization's area extended along the Indus River from northeast Afghanistan, into Pakistan, and northwest India.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were the two great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, emerging around 2600 BCE.

Pre-Harappan (c. 7000-5500 BCE): The Neolithic period, characterized by agricultural development, domestication of plants and animals, and production of tools and ceramics.
Early Harappan (c. 5500-2800 BCE): Trade was established with Egypt, Mesopotamia, and possibly China, with the construction of ports, docks, and warehouses.
Mature Harappan (c. 2800-1900 BCE): The construction of great cities, widespread urbanization, and the flourishing of cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Late Harappan (c. 1900-1500 BCE): The decline of the civilization, coinciding with the migration of the Aryan people from the north, and climate change causing flooding, drought, and famine.
Post-Harappan (c. 1500-600 BCE): The cities were abandoned, and the people had moved south.

Sir Mortimer Wheeler, a British archaeologist, made significant discoveries in Great Britain and India and advanced the scientific method in archaeology.
Wheeler's work provided a means to recognize approximate dates from the civilization's foundations through its decline and fall.