Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (33001300 BCE;
mature period 26001900 BCE) which was centred mostly in the western part
[1]
of
the Indian Subcontinent and which flourished around the Indus River basinPrimarily
centered along the Indus and thePunjab region, the civilization extended into
the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley
[7]
and the Ganges-Yamuna Doab encompassing most
of what is now Pakistan, as well as extending into the westernmost states of modern-
day India, southeastern Afghanistan, and the easternmost part of Balochistan,Iran.
The mature phase of this civilization is known as the Harappan Civilization, as the first
of its cities to be unearthed was the one at Harappa, excavated in the 1920.
Geography
The Indus Valley Civilization encompassed most of Pakistan, extending
from Balochistan to Sindh, and extending into modern day Indian states
of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, with an upward reach to Rupar on the
upper Sutlej. The geography of the Indus Valley put the civilizations that arose there in a
highly similar situation to those in Egypt and Peru, with rich agricultural lands being
surrounded by highlands, desert, and ocean.



Extent and major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. The shaded area does not include recent excavations such
as Rupar, Balakot, Shortughai in Afghanistan, Manda in Jammu

urban culture
The uniform organization of the town and its institutions give evidence that the Harappans
were a very disciplined people. Commerce and administrative duties were performed according
to standards laid out. Municipal administration was strict the width of most streets remained
the same over a long time, and no encroached structures were built. Householders possessed a
sump, or collection chamber to deposit solid waste in order to prevent the clogging of city
drains. Drains, manholes and cesspools kept the city clean and deposited the waste in the river,
GREAT BATH
Excavations in the SD area of the "citadel" mound uncovered a large colonnaded
building with a specially designed water tank usually referred to as the "Great Bath".Just
to the south west of the Great Bath is the so-called "Granary," a massive building with
solid brick foundations with sockets for a wooden super structure and doorways.


GREAT BATH




Granary.


GRANARY
The so-called "granary" of Harappa is found on Mound F. It is a brick structure that was
built on a massive brick foundation over 45 meters north south and 45 meters east-
west. Two rows of six rooms that appear to be foundations are arranged along a central
passageway that is about 7 meters wide and partly paved with baked bricks. Each room
measures 15.2 by 6.1 meters and has three sleeper walls with air space between them.
A wooden superstructure supported in some places by large columns would have been
built on top of the brick foundations, with stairs leading up from the central passage
area. Small triangular opening may have served as air ducts to allow the flow of fresh
air beneath the hollow floors



Public well, Harappa.


Public well, Harappa.
A large public well and public bathing platforms were found in the southern part of
Mound AB at Harappa. These public bathing areas may also have been used for
washing clothes as is common in many traditional cities in Pakistan and India today









The twin cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa were center of all activities. Both cities
were a mile square, with defensive outer walls. Cities were divided into lower
dwellings and the Citadel housed important buildings. In the excavated sites, the
Harappan settlements were found built of mud bricks, burnt bricks and chiselled
stones. Mud Bricks were largely used at Harappa, Kalibangan, Lothal and Banawali
besides burnt bricks. The size of bricks remained the same everywhere. The ratio of
brick size was 1:2:4. Other fortified sites of this culture were at Sutkogendor,
AliMurad, GhaziShah and Daburkot etc.
A remarkable feature of the large urban settlements of the Indus Valley
Civilization was the regularity and order in the town planning and consideration given
to the civic amenities, the sewerage system and drainage. The main streets of the
cities at both Harappa and Moenjodaro were generally oriented from north to south,
with connecting streets running east to west, The streets of major cities such as

Bath Area, of a house
Almost every house unit at Mohenjo-daro was equipped with a
private bathing area with drains to take the dirty water out into a
larger drain that emptied into a sewage drain. Many of these
bathing areas had water tight floors to keep moisture from seeping Into the other rooms nearby or
below.


Town planning of Indus valley civilization


Mohenjo-daro and Harappa were also laid out in a perfect grid pattern, The street
layout showed an understanding of the basic principles of traffic, with rounded
corners to allow the turning of carts easily. These streets divided the city into 12
blocks
Except for the west-central blocks, the basic unit of city planning was the
individual house. Bricks of fixed sizes were used for building while stone and wood
were also used. Buildings in the lower area were rather monotonous, being mainly
functional rather than decorative.
The average house in these ancient cities appeared to have stood at least two
storeys high as suggested by the thickness of the enclosing wall and by remnants of
wide staircases where the steps and risers still survive to considerable height from
the occupation level on the ground floor. The houses were built on plinths rising
above the street level with flights of steps recessed in the wall at the front door. The
doors of the houses usually opened on to the side lanes rather than on to the main
streets
The existence of a theocratic and authoritarian society indicated by the
presence of large and well-fortified citadels in each of the capital cities. These
citadels always face west which served as sanctuaries for the cities` populations in
times of attack and as community centers in times of peace. The citadel at Harappa
measuring 1400 ft. x 600 ft. on mound 40 ft. high which faced foundation with brick
embankment 45 ft. thick. The citadel at Mahenjo-daro included a very large building
that may have been a palace.
Mohenjo-daro, one of the most intriguing structure is the presence of a
remarkable complex of buildings centering on a great bath, "built of very fine
brickwork," It consists of a large rectangular pool two meters deep with steps leading
into it from the narrower ends. At the foot of the stairs is a small ledge with a brick
edging that extends the entire width of the pool, such that people coming down the
stairs could move along this ledge without actually stepping into the pool itself. The
elaborately decorated bath at Mahenjo-daro was surrounded by a cloister, which
opened onto many small rooms that may have housed priests of the city`s cults.
The great bath at Mohenjo-Daro had waterproofed with bitumen. Brick
colonnades were discovered on the eastern, northern and southern edges. The
preserved columns have stepped edges that may have been used to hold wooden
screens or window frames. Two large doors lead into the complex from the south and
other entrance was from the directions of north and east. A series of rooms are
located along the eastern edge of the building and in one room is a well that may
have supplied some of the water needed to fill the tank. Rainwater also may have
been collected for this purposes, but no inlet drains are seen
Large granaries were located near each of the citadels, which suggest that the
state stored grain for ceremonial purposes, times of shortage, and possibly the
regulation of grain production and sale.



Drainage system

The Indus civilization had an elaborate sanitary and drainage
system, the hallmark of ancient Indus cities. The Authorities maintained a highly
efficient drainage system. Each and every house had a connection with the main
drain. These even had inspection holes for maintenance. The conduits to the main
drains running through the middle of the streets below pavement level and covered
with flat stones and sturdy tile bricks. The covered drain was connected to the larger
sewerage outlets which finally led the dirty water outside the populated areas. The
urban plan found in these cities included the world`s first urban sanitation systems.
The elaborate brick-lined drainage system for the removal of rainwater is of
unparalleled engineering skill



Drainage system






House of Indus valley civilization

THE COURTYARD HOUSE

The house was planned as a series of rooms opening on to a central courtyard
providing an open space inside for community activities.






There were no openings toward the main street only rather small openings to the
side streets. . Brick stairways provided access to the upper floors or rooftop gardens.
The houses are believed to have flat, timber roofs. Houses built with a perimeter wall
and adjacent houses were separated by a narrow space of land. There were just a
few fairly standardized layouts, perhaps an indication of a fairly egalitarian society.
But not all houses had two stories and only the larger houses have their own wells.
There are also rows of single-roomed barracks, perhaps for singles, soldiers or
slaves.


Model of House viewed from a side street

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