The Indus Valley Civilization (c. 7000-c. 600 BCE) is among the oldest in the world but, as it was only “discovered” in 1829 – after ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian sites had already been excavated – many of the “firsts” of civilization were attributed to these cultures while, today, scholars believe they should be credited to the region of modern-day India.
Little is known of the Indus Valley Civilization (also known as the Harappan Civilization and the Indus-Sarasvati Civilization) because, unlike Egyptian hieroglyphics or Mesopotamian cuneiform, the Indus Script (also known as Harappan Script) has not yet been deciphered. All that is known of the culture comes from physical artifacts found at sites such as the ruins of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
This gallery presents some of the best-known sites and artifacts excavated to date along with maps of the region based on the chronology suggested by these finds and their location. At the height of the Indus Valley Civilization, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are thought to have had populations numbering between 40,000-50,000 but little is known of their daily lives today other than what is suggested by their art and architecture.
