History
The Indus Valley Civilisation
The Indus Valley Civilisation was a Bronze Age urban culture that flourished across present-day Pakistan and north-west India from about 2600 to 1900 BCE, with its two largest known cities, Mohenjo-daro in Sindh and Harappa in Punjab, both in Pakistan. Its script, found on thousands of seals, remains undeciphered.
Quick facts
- Peak period
- About 2600 to 1900 BCE
- Largest sites in Pakistan
- Mohenjo-daro, Harappa
- Mohenjo-daro inscribed by UNESCO
- 1980
- Script
- Undeciphered, about 400 signs
Background
Excavations from the 1920s onward revealed planned street grids, standardised fired bricks, covered drains and large public structures such as the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro. The civilisation traded with Mesopotamia, used a uniform system of weights, and declined gradually after about 1900 BCE, probably through a combination of river shifts and climate change rather than a single event.
Key entries
- Mohenjo-daro
Sindh; the Great Bath, granary and citadel mound.
- Harappa
Punjab; the first site excavated, giving the culture its other name.
- Mehrgarh
Balochistan; farming settlement from about 7000 BCE, the culture's ancestor.
- Kot Diji
Sindh; a pre-Harappan fortified settlement.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is the Indus Valley Civilisation located today?
- Most of its major excavated cities, including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, lie in modern Pakistan.
- Has the Indus script been read?
- No. Around 400 signs are known from seals and tablets, but the script has not been deciphered.