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Indus River Valley (Harappa)

Indus River Valley (Harappa). Day 1. Map of India Civilization - achievement Hierarchy - specialization Economy - surplus Barter - polytheism Monotheism - institution scribe. Day 2. Many Unknowns. Archeological sites not excavated until the 1920’s Enormous territory

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Indus River Valley (Harappa)

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  1. Indus River Valley (Harappa)

  2. Day 1 • Map of India • Civilization - achievement • Hierarchy - specialization • Economy - surplus • Barter - polytheism • Monotheism - institution • scribe

  3. Day 2

  4. Many Unknowns • Archeological sites not excavated until the 1920’s • Enormous territory • Writing not yet deciphered • Literally piecing together history

  5. Indus River Fertile Plain Hindu-Kush and Himalaya Mountain Ranges

  6. Location, Location, Location! • Geographic Benefits: • Mountain Ranges offer protection • Source of rivers • Monsoons • River Valley Perks: • Flooding • Soil • Access to private beaches: • Ports for trade

  7. Monsoons • Dominates climate • Winter Monsoon (Oct-May) • dry air from northeast • Summer Monsoon (June) • picks up moisture from the Indian Ocean

  8. Monsoons • People depend on summer monsoons to provide life giving rain • Monsoon late -crops die causing famine • Monsoon brings too much rain-rivers overflow causing deadly floods

  9. In Comparison….. • How does the geography and climate of the Indus River Valley compare to other river valley (agrarian ) civilizations we have studied? • Make a prediction: Will the Indus River Valley civilization evolve in a similar fashion to Egypt and Mesopotamia or will it develop unique qualities we have yet to see? Decide on an answer and defend your argument in a well written paragraph.

  10. DAY 3

  11. Urbanized Society • Planned cities • MohenjoDaro • Harappa • Laid out in grid pattern • Streets and alleyways off of major streets lead to private neighborhoods • Houses with thick walls and high ceilings to keep the rooms cool in the hot summer months • Houses of varying size • Between1and 3 floors • Same pattern – enclosed courtyard

  12. Map of Mohenjo-Daro

  13. Cities Centered On… • Citadel-walled fortress that housed assembly halls, granaries, and public baths

  14. Cities Centered On… • Crafts quarter/Central Market • Evidence of workshops, beads, shell ornaments, glazed pottery ornaments, stone tools and even gold

  15. Social Structure • Ruling Elite • Not known if cities were ruled by priests or wealthy merchants • Priest class • Division of labor: • City planners - Architects • Merchants - Farmers • Artisans • Similar housingstructures suggest social divisions were not great

  16. Political Structure-Central Gov’t • Theocracy??? • Public Works: • Plumbing and sewage systems • Public baths • Granaries • Levees • Standardized measures and weights • Walls for protection • Floods • Invasion • Limited conflict • Few weapons found …. Why?

  17. Public Works Granary at Mohenjo-Daro World’s first sewage system?

  18. Indus Valley (Harappan) Economy • Irrigated agriculture was used to take advantage of the fertile grounds along the Indus River • Both brick and earthen walls were built to control the annual flooding • Domesticated Animals included: • Elephant • Water Buffalo • Oxen • Goats

  19. Economic Resources • Natural Resources • Fresh water and timber • Materials such as gold, silver, semi-precious stones • Marine resources • Agricultural Resources • Domesticated crops included wheat, barley, peas, sesame seeds, dates and cotton • First civilization to cultivate cotton for the production of cloth

  20. Trade • Possible because of central location • Exported timber • Imported precious metals/stones • Evidence of substantial trade with Mesopotamia • Marketplaces or crafts-quarters in cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa buzzed with activity

  21. Religion • Not much is known about religious practices • No monumental symbols of religion • Believed to be polytheistic: • Prayed for good harvests and protection from floods • River often changed course • Unpredictable flooding • Animals

  22. Religion • Statues and Figurines indicate worship of • Mother goddess • Fertility gods • Links to Hinduism?

  23. Religion • Archeological evidence suggests belief in an afterlife

  24. Technology • Planned Cities: • Straight streets in grid-like pattern • Public water supply (baths) • Public and private sanitation • Standardization of: • Weights • Measurements • Oven-baked bricks • Distance • Astronomy and Geometry?

  25. Technology – Written Language • Alphabet contained over 400 symbols • Not yet deciphered • Pictographic or Phonetic? • Stamps and seals

  26. Day 4

  27. What happened to this Civilization? • Everything we have examined about the Indus River Valley (Harappan) civilization to this point suggests that it was a well organized and thriving civilization. However, something happened that caused this civilization to vanish from history for close to 3,000 years. Many theories have been developed to explain the mysterious end to this early Indian civilization; some of which we will examine. Before looking at the theories take a few minutes and predict what historians believe was the true cause of the Harappan decline.

  28. Theories • We do know that between 2000 BC and 1500 BC cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were abandoned • There are two major theories that exist: • Natural Catastrophe and Nomadic Invasion

  29. The Case for Natural Disaster • Some historians argue that natural catastrophes or disasters led to the demise of this great civilization • Tectonic events such as earthquakes could have: • Caused the river to migrate • Shifted the river’s floodplains • Climatic changes • Rainfall decreased and caused sustained drought

  30. The Case for Natural Disaster • Over farming and deforestation may have depleted the soil making it useless • Evidence: • Archeological work at Mohenjo-Daro suggests that the river migrated • Some cities were believed to have been rebuilt several times • Indian Plate boundary very close • Most of the ancient civilization is now desert

  31. The Case for Aryan Invasion • The Aryan Invasion theory suggests that pastoral nomads (Aryans) from the plains of Asia migrated and conquered Harappan settlements

  32. The Case for Aryan Invasion • Religious texts describe conquests of great cities • Human remains that suggest traumatic deaths • Similarities between perceived religious symbols of Harappan cities and Hinduism • Indo-European language • Social structure - Varnas

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