About 5,000 years ago, one of the world's oldest and most advanced civilizations grew along the banks of the River Indus (now mostly in Pakistan and parts of India). This is called the Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Civilization. The people who lived there were incredibly smart -- they built planned cities with straight roads, drainage systems, and even bathrooms in their homes!
1. Harappa (in present-day Pakistan)
This was one of the first cities discovered. The entire civilization is named after it. It had a citadel (a raised area with important buildings) and a lower town where common people lived.
2. Mohenjo-daro (meaning "Mound of the Dead," in present-day Pakistan)
This was the largest city. It had the famous Great Bath -- a large pool that may have been used for religious bathing. The city had well-planned streets in a grid pattern, like a chessboard.
Indian sites: Lothal (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Dholavira (Gujarat), and Rakhigarhi (Haryana) are important Indus Valley sites in India.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Houses | Made of baked bricks. Had rooms, courtyards, wells, and bathrooms with drains. |
| Roads | Straight and wide, crossing at right angles. Main roads were up to 10 metres wide. |
| Drainage | Every house had drains connected to covered street drains. Very clean! |
| Food | Grew wheat, barley, rice, peas, and cotton. Kept cattle, sheep, and goats. |
| Crafts | Made beautiful pottery, jewellery, toys, and seals with animal pictures. |
| Trade | Traded with Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) using boats. Used standard weights and measures. |
| Writing | Had a script (writing system) that has not been decoded yet! |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Civilization | An advanced society with cities, laws, writing, and culture |
| Excavation | Digging up the ground carefully to find old objects and buildings |
| Citadel | A raised, fortified area in a city with important buildings |
| Great Bath | A large brick pool found in Mohenjo-daro |
| Seal | A small carved stone with pictures and writing, used for trade |
| Grid Pattern | Streets crossing each other at right angles, like a chessboard |
City Planner: Imagine you are planning a city like Mohenjo-daro. Draw a simple map showing straight roads, houses with drains, a Great Bath, and a market area.
Compare: Write two things that are similar and two things that are different between an Indus Valley city and your city today.
Similar:
Different:
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About 5,000 years ago, one of the world's oldest and most advanced civilizations grew along the banks of the River Indus (now mostly in Pakistan and parts of India). This is called the Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Civilization. The people who lived there were incredibly smart -- they built planned cities with straight roads, drainage systems, and even bathrooms in their homes!
1. Harappa (in present-day Pakistan)
This was one of the first cities discovered. The entire civilization is named after it. It had a citadel (a raised area with important buildings) and a lower town where common people lived.
2. Mohenjo-daro (meaning "Mound of the Dead," in present-day Pakistan)
This was the largest city. It had the famous Great Bath -- a large pool that may have been used for religious bathing. The city had well-planned streets in a grid pattern, like a chessboard.
Indian sites: Lothal (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Dholavira (Gujarat), and Rakhigarhi (Haryana) are important Indus Valley sites in India.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Houses | Made of baked bricks. Had rooms, courtyards, wells, and bathrooms with drains. |
| Roads | Straight and wide, crossing at right angles. Main roads were up to 10 metres wide. |
| Drainage | Every house had drains connected to covered street drains. Very clean! |
| Food | Grew wheat, barley, rice, peas, and cotton. Kept cattle, sheep, and goats. |
| Crafts | Made beautiful pottery, jewellery, toys, and seals with animal pictures. |
| Trade | Traded with Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) using boats. Used standard weights and measures. |
| Writing | Had a script (writing system) that has not been decoded yet! |
Think about it -- 5,000 years ago, these people had better drainage than many places today! How advanced they must have been!
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Civilization | An advanced society with cities, laws, writing, and culture |
| Excavation | Digging up the ground carefully to find old objects and buildings |
| Citadel | A raised, fortified area in a city with important buildings |
| Great Bath | A large brick pool found in Mohenjo-daro |
| Seal | A small carved stone with pictures and writing, used for trade |
| Grid Pattern | Streets crossing each other at right angles, like a chessboard |
A. Fill in the Blanks:
B. True or False:
C. Multiple Choice Questions:
D. Short Answer Questions:
City Planner: Imagine you are planning a city like Mohenjo-daro. Draw a simple map showing straight roads, houses with drains, a Great Bath, and a market area.
Compare: Write two things that are similar and two things that are different between an Indus Valley city and your city today.
Similar:
Different: