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Image Gallery
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.
Questions & Answers
When did the Indus Valley Civilization flourish?
- The Indus Valley Civilization flourished between c. 7000 and c. 600 BCE, although evidence of human activity in the region goes back much farther.
What are the two best-known cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?
- The two best-known cities of the Indus Valley Civilization are Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
When was the Indus Valley Civilization discovered?
- The Indus Valley Civilization was discovered in 1829.
Has the script of the Indus Valley Civilization been deciphered?
- No. The Indus Script (also known as Harappan Script) has not been deciphered. All that is known of the culture comes from the ruins of the cities and artifacts found there.
License & Copyright
This image was first published on Flickr.
Original image by hceebee. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 19 January 2013. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
