1f Indus Valley

David Wang Indus valley Time frame Arose almost as early as Mesopotamia and Egypt Flourished from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE Some dispute on the origins and fate of the Indus valley ppl Geography Settled on fertile floodplain More than 1 mil acres Twice a yr the Indus riv. flooded its banks as much as 10 mi Snow melting off the mountains in March and April Monsoons in august Farmers could plant and harvest 2 crops a year Culture -System of writing with 400+ signs -Has not been deciphered -Harappa – 3.5 mi with 35,000 ppl -Mohenjo-daro another large early city -Both cities had high brick walls (hostile forces) -Streets laid out in rectangular grids (planning strong cent. Govt) -Covered drainpipes carried away waste -Organized structure of the city implies a strong central authority -Most of the ppl lived in smaller settlements -Lots of metal used in tools and other useful objects -Wide spread trading contacts Technology - high technological capabilities Irrigation Potters wheel Bricks Worked with various metals Understood how to manipulate the hardness of bronze to accommodate need -not much is known about the political, social, economic and religious - b.c. we cant read their stf The End - cities abandoned after 1900 BCE - archaeologist believe the political and economic system broke down - maybe caused by ecological changes o Hakra river dried up o Stalinization of the soil o Loss of fertile soil and water would hurt urbanization