III. Indus Valley Civilization

A. Indus Valley

• 3 rd major civilization to develop • Know less about Indus Valley because their language has never been translated • Subcontinent – Includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

Modern-Day Indus River

B. Environmental Challenges • Indus & Ganges Rivers – Indus Valley developed along these two rivers • Wall of mountains isolates India • Himalaya Mountains – Tallest mountain chain in the world

Himalayan Mountains

• Khyber Pass – Major passage way that cuts through the mountains surrounding India • Yearly floods spread rich deposits of soil • Floods along Indus River are very unpredictable

Khyber Pass

C. Planned Cities

• Most famous cities are Harappa and Moherjo-Daro • Very sophisticated city planning • Built cities according to a precise grid system

• Also created sophisticated plumbing and sewage systems • Almost every house had a private bathroom and flushable toilet • Pipes connected each house and carried wastewater to underground sewer systems

Remains of Harappa in modern day Pakistan

D. Harappan Culture

• Indus Valley had a written language but we can not decipher it • Question: If you can decipher a groups language how can you possible know anything about their culture?

Indus Valley Board Game

E. Mysterious End

• 1750 BC – Indus Valley began to decline • We do not know the exact reason why • 1970s – Satellite images suggest that a huge earthquake or flood probably altered the course of the Indus River

F. Four Theories

• 1) Rivers may have changed course, and without flooding no crops could be • 2) People may have wore out the land through overgrazing, farming, and • 3) Natural disasters may have destroyed cities • 4) Outside invaders may have attack