Introduction to the Indus Valley Civilization

Video

Introduction to the Indus Valley Civilization - who were they? Where was the Indus Valley? Why are we so interested in them? All of these questions and more will be answered in this video!

The Indus Valley Civilization- named for the Indus River basin which supported it - was located in what is now modern-day Pakistan and Northwest India. It is often compared with the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia as being one of the oldest and most significant in the world. It is also known as the Harappan Civilisation, after the first city discovered in the modern-day, Harappa, and as the Indus-Saraswati Civilisation after the Saraswati River which flowed adjacent to the Indus.

The two main cities, Harappa and Mohenjo Daro are well-organised cities with uniform mud-brick buildings, and conscious city planning! One of the most interesting buildings found at Mohenjo Daro is The Great Bath - yet none of the Indus Valley cities has anything resembling a temple! The Indus Valley peoples were well skilled, and their seal stones and figurines are intricate and well-made.