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Ancient History

Lecture - 02
Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)
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Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)

Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)

Topic to be ❖ Town planning

covered
❖ Seals of IVC

❖ Harappa

❖ Mohenjodaro

❖ Sculpture

❖ Lothal

❖ Dholavira

❖ Kalibangan

❖ Harappan craft and techniques

❖ Weighting and measurement during Harappan civilization

❖ Post-Urban phase of Harappan culture

Important Earliest Civilizations of the World

1. Indus Valley civilization on the banks of the Indus River (3300 BCE to 1300 BCE)

2. Chinese civilization on the banks of the Hwang Ho River

3. Mesopotamian civilization on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

4. Egyptian Civilization on the banks of the Nile River.

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Features of civilizations

❖ To fulfill their water requirements, most of the civilizations existed near the river.

❖ Many civilizations are connected through trade and commerce.

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Learning Edge

❖ The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea (MR sir physics)

Indus Valley Civilizations

❖ Most extensive in the world due to:

➢ More than 1500 sites

➢ Spread over more than 1.5 million sq kilometers

❖ Why is it named Harappan Civilization?

➢ It is present near Harappa village.

➢ Rigveda mentions the word “Hariuppa” in its texts.

❖ The name Indus Valley Civilization was given by British archaeologist John Marshall.

❖ The Harappan Civilization belongs to the Bronze Age. (Copper + Tin)

Phases of Indus Valley Civilization

❖ Early Harappan phase - 2900 B.C. to 2500 B.C.

❖ Middle Harappan phase- 2500 B.C. to 2000 B.C.

❖ Later Harappan phase - 2000 B.C. to 1500 B.C.

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Extend of IVC

❖ In the north, it is present up to Manda in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir

(Chenab River).

❖ In the south, it is present up to Daimabad in Maharashtra (Pravara River).

❖ In the east, it is present up to Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh (Hindon River).

❖ In the west, it is present up to Sutkagendor in Balochistan (Dasht River).

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Note:

❖ The maximum concentration of sites is found near the Ghaggar Hakra River.

❖ Banawali and Rakhigarhi (Haryana) - the largest number of IVC sites are found here.

How do we know about IVC?

❖ We have archaeological Evidence.

❖ We do not have Literature.

❖ We have Inscriptions but they are not Deciphered yet.

Major IVC Sites along with river

Note:-Dholavira is present in desert areas (Rann of Kutch) because of the presence of Raw

materials like copper, lead, shell, and limestone. These materials were traded with

Mesopotamia.

Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization

❖ Citadel

➢ It was present on the western side and situated on an upraised platform.

➢ It comprises of administrative building - also called as Acropolis.

➢ It was occupied by members of the ruling class.

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➢ It was surrounded by thick walls on 4 sides and had restricted entry.

➢ It had granaries to store surplus food.

➢ It also had public baths- this indicates the importance of ritual cleaning in

Harappan culture.

➢ Note:- No temple was found in IVC

❖ Lower Town

➢ It was situated on the eastern side of town.

➢ This was the place where common people lived.

➢ It had a systematic town planning on lines of a grid system i.e. streets and lanes

cutting across one another at right angles hence dividing the city into rectangular

blocks.

➢ Doors and windows generally faced the side lanes and rarely opened on the main

streets

➢ People lived in houses of different sizes, most of the houses were small one-roomed

size.

➢ Houses were made up of burnt bricks of similar size (almost 7 X 14 X 28 cm).

➢ Gypsum and mortar were used to burn bricks.

➢ Some walls were thick and some had staircases, suggesting 2 stories buildings.

➢ Roofs covered with wooden beams and reeds and packed clay.

➢ Most of the houses had private wells and they also had ventilated bathrooms

covered by closely packed burnt bricks.

➢ The floor had a slope to discard the flow of water, this wastewater had a provision

of advanced drainage system.

➢ Small underground drains ran from each house and were connected to large drains

running alongside the main road.

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➢ Drains were covered either with bricks or stone slabs which can be uncovered for

regular cleaning and maintenance.

➢ They had a market at the center.

Seals of Indus Valley Civilisation

❖ Over 2000 seals of IVC are found.

❖ Seals were used for trading purposes with Mesopotamia and Egyptian Civilization.

❖ IVC seals are found at Kish, Lagash, Nippur, and other sites of Mesopotamia.

❖ During the trade, goods were tied with rope and they placed wet clay on the opening

and stamped it using the seals. This is used to ensure non-tampering of the goods.

❖ Sometimes more than one seal impression was found on the clay.

❖ In trade, IVC people used to

➢ Export: Stones, Metals, Food grains, shells, etc.

➢ Import: Silver and Gold

Seal

❖ Each seal was generally 0.25 to 2.5 inches wide

❖ Usually square in shape, but also found in rectangular, triangular, and circular shapes.

❖ The seals were generally made of Steatite (soft stone, softness is due to talc content),

which was found in riverbeds.

❖ Sometimes Agate, Chert, Copper, Calcium, Terracotta, Silver, Gold, and Ivory were

also used to make seals instead of Steatite, but Steatite is most commonly used.

Various types of Seals in IVC

❖ Seal of Humpless Bull

➢ It is the most common seal.

➢ In Harappa, around 46% of seals are of Humpless bull, and in

Mohenjodaro these seals constitute around 60%.

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➢ These seals have figures of Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephant, Buffalo, Goat, Bison, Hare,

and Crocodile.

➢ No evidence of cow figures/images on these seals was found.

➢ Some seals have a hole, which shows they were also used as locket.

Earth Mother seal

➢ It is believed that it was an auspicious seal.

➢ Nude woman, head downward with legs apart and

a plant issuing out of her vagina (prototype of

Shkambhari).

➢ Earth is shown as a fertility.

❖ Swastika seal

➢ May be associated with protective function or

auspiciousness.

❖ Pashupati seal

➢ Found in Mohenjodaro

➢ A human figure resembling Pashupati - Shiva

➢ Sitting in yogic posture (cross-legged) on a low throne.

➢ It has animal figures of Rhino, Buffalo, Two deer, Tiger,

and Elephant.

❖ Cylindrical seal

➢ One cylindrical seal of Mesopotamia is

found in Kalibangan with Indian Motif

belonging to IVC.
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➢ It has a woman flanked by two men, who held her with one hand and raised swords

over her hand with another hand. This may represent human sacrifice.

➢ Circular-shaped Persian Gulf Seal is also found at Lothal and Diamabad.

➢ Seals are found in greater numbers than sealings (upon which seals are stamped)

because sealings are used for temporary purposes.

Assumptions regarding seals

❖ They can be trade seals.

❖ May be used as an identification marker.

❖ May be used as a Token in buying and selling goods.

❖ Maybe the animals on these seals represent a specific clan.

Important Sites of Indus Valley Civilization

Harappa

❖ Discovered by Daya Ram Sahani in 1921 in the Montgomery district of Punjab

(present-Sahiwal, Pakistan) on the bank of river Ravi.

Features

❖ Granaries:

➢ Two rows of 6 granaries are found on a raised platform.

➢ Usually, granaries were in the Citadel to protect it from flood.

➢ Here, these granaries were the nearest building to the Ravi River.

➢ The largest number of wheat grains are seen from

Harappa.

❖ The row of single-room barracks- might be housed by

labourers.

❖ No structure resembling temples is found but

➢ Phalls (Lingum) are made up of stone.

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➢ Earth mother seal- similar to Nile Goddess- Isis of Egyptian civilization.

➢ Nude male torso (Red Sandstone).

➢ Dice made up of terracotta is also found.

❖ Burial practices

➢ The most common method of burial practice was to place the body of the deceased

in an extended position with the head towards the north.

➢ In the grave food, pottery, tools, and Ornamental are kept for the afterlife.

➢ Burials are not very lavish but simply show that Harappans preferred to use wealth

rather than burning it with their dead.

❖ Cemetery

➢ R. 37, belonging to the Harappan period, and ‘H’ dating from the late/post-

Harappan period.

➢ They are generally located around the perimeter of settlements, outside the city.

➢ Traces of wooden coffins are also found.

➢ R-37 is smaller than cemetery ‘H’ and has about 200 burials.

➢ R-37 cemetery proves that individuals of high class and status in society were

treated very differently and had a separate burial site.

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