48 Lesser-Known Facts about Indus Valley Civilization · 48 Lesser-Known Facts about Indus Valley Civilization Out of the four great civilizations of the ancient world, three of them,

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48 Lesser-Known Facts about Indus Valley Civilization

Out of the four great civilizations of the ancient world, three of them, Mesopotamia,

Egypt and China, have been extensively studied and well-known to almost every

individual. Lost to human memory was the fourth civilization of equal importance

and much more sophisticated Indus Valley Civilization that thrived along the flood

plains of rivers Indus and Gaggar-Hakra.

It was not until the twentieth century that this lost and forgotten civilization was

rediscovered and acknowledged and was placed together in equal importance with

Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China.

Today, we know very little of this technologically advanced civilization as compared

to other civilizations. Check out these lesser-known facts about Indus Valley

civilization that are not just worth the knowledge that is worth sharing but will keep

your curiosity going. The more you learn about them the more you will be

interested to know.

For the convenience of the readers these facts have been categorized into the

following broad headings:

General facts about the Civilization and their Culture

Cities of Indus Valley Civilization

Technological Achievements of Indus Valley Civilization

Mysteries that are yet to be solved

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General facts about the Civilization and their Culture: 1. Indus Valley Civilization was the largest among the four ancient river valley

civilizations of the world

In terms of geographic area, Indus Valley Civilization was the largest among the four

ancient civilizations of the world namely, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. It was

spread out over an area of 1,260,000 sq. km over modern-day India, Pakistan, and

Afghanistan. In today’s map, if it were a country, it would rank 22nd in term of size

between Niger and Angola

This civilization extended from Ghaggar-Hakra River Valley in the east to Makran

coast of Balochistan in the west, from Afghanistan in the northeastern to Daimabad

in Maharashtra in the south.

2. At its peak, it may had a population of over 5 million

The Indus Valley Civilization had a total population of over five million. This is

greater than present day population of New Zealand. Most of its inhabitants were

artisans and traders.

















3. Till date over 1056 cities have been discovered

Over 1,056 Harappan cities and settlements had been found, of which 96 have

been excavated. They are mostly located in the broad regions of the Indus and

Ghaggar-Hakra Rivers and their tributaries. Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Dholavira,

Ganeriwala in Cholistan and Rakhigarhi were the major urban centers.

















4. Most of the population lived in villages we don’t have any record of

Archaeologists believe that majority of the population of Indus Valley Civilization

lived in villages. These villages may have been made of perishable materials like

timber or mud which makes it impossible to trace their existence. Thus, there is no

way to find out the lifestyle and culture in these villages which have been lost to

time without any trace.

5. We still don’t know what we should actually call them

The first settlements discovered were along the banks of river Indus, so the

archaeologist called them ‘Indus Valley Civilization.' However, contrary to its name

only about 100 sites are found along the Indus and its tributaries. While over 500

sites are discovered along Gaggar-Hakra River (which is believed to be the long-lost

river, Saraswati).

Now, many archaeologists prefer to call them as ‘Indus-Saraswati Civilization,' based

on the two river systems. Others prefer the name ‘Harappan Civilization,' based on

the name of the first city discovered called Harappa.

However, according to some archaeologists, the presence of more number of sites

along Gaggar-Hakra River is because they were better preserved under the

uninhabited desert.

6. Meluhha, the ancient place of exotic items mentioned by the Mesopotamian scribes

We don’t know what the Indus Valley people used to call themselves. The

Mesopotamian scribes had been writing about a distance place called Meluhha.

Archaeological evidence has proved that Indus Valley civilization and

Mesopotamians were having long time trade relations. It is entirely possible that

the place the Mesopotamians called Meluhha is Indus Valley Civilization.

















7. Archaeologist first thought they had discovered cities of children

When Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were first excavated, a significant number of

toys, dice, marbles and whistles were found. This made them think that they had

discovered cities where a majority of their inhabitants were children.

8. Britishers laid down 93 miles of railway track with 4000-year-old Indus Valley bricks

During the British Rule in India, British engineers were constructing the railway

track from Karachi to Lahore. When they felt shortage of materials to raise the track

up to the desired level, they collected bricks from nearby ruins of Harappa to build

the track. They laid down the bricks and constructed 93 miles (150 km) of railway

track using these 4000-year-old artifacts!

















9. They had the world's first planned cities

Although the use of grid pattern in town planning is attributed to the Greek urban

planner Hippodamus (5th Century BC), the first grid planned cities were thousands

of years older than that of Miletus. Almost all the Indus Valley cities were designed

in a grid pattern with streets crossing at right angles.

10. The cities were densely populated but not chaotic

Given the systematic approach in town planning and level of sophistication

achieved by the Indus Valley people, scholars believed that even though these cities

had very dense population, they were not chaotic. Instead, they had a very organized

way of living.

This is in total contrast to the chaotic cities of the same time from Egypt or

Mesopotamia, which make them very unique of its time.

















11. They built urban sanitation systems non-pareil in the Ancient World till much later

Engineers of Indus Valley Civilization had mastered the channeling of water and

disposal of wastewater thousands of years before the Romans began to start

building aqueducts.

Similar sanitation system is also seen in the Minoan Civilization of the Crete Island.

















Cities of Indus Valley Civilization: 12. Mohenjo-Daro is the largest site, and Allahdino is the smallest site

Mohenjo-Daro, with an area of around 300 hectares, was the largest city of the

civilization. At its peak, it may had accommodated a population of about 40,000,

which is huge regarding ancient standards.

13. Oldest known settlement was Mehrgarh, established around 7000 BC

Mehrgarh was a small farming village that began during the Pre-Harappan period. It

is one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming and herding in South Asia.

14. Harappan towns and cities showed extraordinary levels of standardization

Not only the Harappan cities were well-planned, but also they followed a level of

standardization that no other ancient culture could achieve at that time. Nearly all

the cities that are discovered were constructed in a similar pattern. Houses were

made of bricks that are precisely of the same standard dimensions. They all had

sophisticated water management systems.

















This particularly astonishes researchers because till now no evidence of any central

ruler or authority has been found. Without any central power to impose these

standards, how did they achieve this level of standardization!

15. Harappan towns and cities were laid down in a rectangular grid pattern

Plan showing upper town of Mohenjo-Daro

Harappan towns and cities were designed in a rectangular grid pattern. The main

streets ran along North-South direction and secondary streets along East-West

direction. They intersected at junctions making perfect right angles. Many scholars

believe this is the result of religious or astronomical beliefs.

















16. The cities had wide streets

Roads, especially in Mohenjo-Daro, were as wide as 10.5 m. Harappa also had wide

roads having a similar width. The smallest roads were at least of 1.5m – 3m wide. It

is believed that most of the activities like market etc. were held along these streets

which justify the widths very appropriately.

17. Harappan streets were paved and graded with drainage systems

At Mohenjo-Daro, as well as in other cities, the streets were very carefully

constructed keeping in mind the grading for the disposal of stormwater with

channels running along the streets as well as underground pipes.

The streets were also paved with sundried or burnt bricks for convenient movement

of ox-driven carts.

18. Cities were constructed several times and every time along the same pattern

Over the period of 800-1000 years, many Harappan cities were constructed several

times owing to destruction by floods, deposition of silts, etc. Every time a new

construction was made they were done on top the original grid. For example,

archaeologists have found that Mohenjo-Daro was constructed at least 9 times and

each time on top of the earlier levels.

















This proves their understanding of the importance of the grid pattern and also the

degree of their standardization in planning.

19. Cities had distinct neighborhoods, specialized in various occupations

The Indus Valley cities can be divided into distinct neighborhood blocks with specific

characteristics identified from the professions of the inhabitants. Occupants of

different parts of the city were involved in different crafts and professions. One

cluster may be involved in the manufacture of shell products, another may produce

copper products, while some clusters may be involved with cotton or dyeing.

20. There were well-built granaries, citadels, burial grounds and bathing platforms.

All the Indus Valley sites have been found to have granaries, citadels, burial grounds

and bathing platforms. The granaries were huge in size and were very

sophisticatedly designed. There were air passages to remove any moisture and

keep the grains dry. This kind of advanced granaries was found only after 2800 years

in Roman brick granaries

















21. All the structures were built of Burnt bricks of standard sizes

Bricks used in construction during the Mature Harappa Period were all

manufactured in two basic sizes- 7 x 14 x 28 cms and 10 x 20 x 40 cms. The smaller

bricks were used for the construction of residences and other smaller houses while

the larger ones were used for public buildings, walls, etc. Both the types of bricks

followed a ratio of 1 : 2 : 4.

There are also rock-cut structures found in Dholavira which shows they were not

limited to bricks as a building material.

22. The ratio 1 : 2 : 4 was maintained everywhere

Not only the bricks but this ratio was observed everywhere. For example, in the

dimensions of houses, public structures, neighborhood blocks and even the entire

region of the city. The scholars find it difficult to understand whether this level of

standardization is enforced or deliberate, or whether it is related to religious beliefs

or just a convention among the builders.

23. Most of the houses were two-storeyed and even three-storeyed with ample space within.

















The Indus Valley civilization had excellent masons who were able to construct load-

bearing brick structures up to two stories effortlessly. These houses had a central

courtyard and a flat accessible terrace.

24. The houses in Indus Valley Civilization were strategically designed to prevent dust and noise.

The houses had only one door and no windows towards the main streets. The door

would open into a central courtyard which would have access to multiple rooms. All

the windows and ventilators of the houses opened towards this courtyard and

saved the house from pollution and noise.

25. Harappan houses were the first to have the luxury of attached bathrooms with flush toilets

Almost all the houses in Indus Valley Civilization had bathrooms with access to

running water and toilets with sophisticated drainage facilities. This technology is

way ahead of its time and is first seen in this civilization.

















26. They were experts in creating complex water management system

In Mohenjo-Daro, archeologist found a very advanced water management system

with 80 public toilets and more than 700 wells. Every house had its own bathroom

and wells were strategically located to supply water to every neighborhood. There

was also a system to store rainwater. The discovery of earliest public water tank

which is now known as Great Bath shows their skills in architecture.

















27. At least one Great Bath in every city

The towns used to have Great Baths. Though the exact purpose of baths is not clear,

it is believed that these might be used for religious bathing.

28. Awareness of hygiene

It is very clear that the Indus Valley people were well-aware of the importance of

living and maintaining a hygienic life. They had put so much effort to provide

personal and public baths for everyone, stormwater runoff channels, underground

wastewater systems and even garbage disposal. These facts make their attempts to

make a healthy and hygienic life quite obvious.

















29. In Mohenjo-Daro, there were dustbins along the streets

Archaeologists have found several brick containers that were strategically located

along the street junctions of Mohenjo-Daro specifically for garbage disposal.

30. Underground wastewater system

















There is little doubt that the Harappan were experts in managing water systems.

There were separate water channels for stormwater and foul water running along

the streets. Foul water drains were underground and were covered with terracotta

lids. There were even chambers with openable lids for cleaning purposes.

31. Presence of several major port cities proves the large-scale Maritime trade

The Dockyard at Lothal

Lothal is believed to be the world’s first dockyard. Balakot, Suktagendor, and Allahdin

are other major port cities that give us an idea of the magnitude of the Maritime

trade that existed with other civilizations.

















32. At Dholavira there was a complex water management system to store water for the dry seasons

Computer Graphic Image of Dholavira

Cities like Dholavira build dams to control the flow of water so that they can store

water in gigantic reservoirs. They used to store water for irrigation and for domestic

supplies throughout the year. At Dholavira there were 16 reservoirs around the city.

These dams and reservoirs solved two purposes- first, they protected the city from

floods; second, they ensured water supply throughout the year.

















Technological achievements of Indus Valley Civilization: 33. The people of Indus Valley had excellent knowledge of metallurgy

People were quite aware of certain new techniques in metallurgy. They used these

techniques to produce lead, copper, tin and bronze. These metal products were

popular items for export to oversea civilizations.

















34. Harappan people developed the most precise measurements humanity had at the time

Archaeologists have found stone cubes which are clearly intended to be weights

which increase in a ratio of 5:2:1 with weights of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50,

100, 200, and 500 units. The actual weights do not correspond to any of the then

existing systems of Egypt or Mesopotamia. So it is safe to conclude that this is a

locally invented system.

The markings on an ivory scale found in Lothal in Gujarat shows their smallest

division was approximately 1.704 mm, the smallest division ever recorded on a

scale of the Bronze Age.

35. Earliest scale to test purity of Gold

A touchstone bearing gold streaks was found in Banawali, the purpose of which was

probably for testing the purity of gold (such a technique is still used in some parts

of India).

36. They were the world's first dentists!

Archaeologists studying the remains of two men from Mehrgarh, Pakistan, in 2001,

made the discovery that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization, from the early

Harappan periods, had the knowledge of proto-dentistry. Later, in April 2006, it was

declared in the scientific journal Nature that the first evidence of drilling of human

















teeth in a living person was found in Mehrgarh. Eleven drilled molar crowns from

nine adults were found in a Neolithic graveyard in Mehrgarh dating from 5,500 BC -

7,000 BC. According to the authors, their discoveries suggest a tradition of proto-

dentistry in the early farming cultures of the region.

37. The first people to domesticate Cotton

The earliest archaeological evidence for cotton use is from Mehrgarh, in the Kachi

Plain of Balochistan, Pakistan, in the sixth millennium BC. People of the Indus and

Gaggar-Hakra river valleys were, without a doubt, the first to produce cotton on an

industrial scale. Cotton textile was one of the major export items that helped the

growth of trade and economy of the civilization.

38. IVC people invented the world's first buttons!

In the Indus Valley Civilization, buttons made from seashell were used for

ornamental purposes rather than as fasteners. The first instances were found

dating around c. 2800–2600 BCE. Some buttons were carved into geometric shapes

and had holes pierced into them in order to attach it to clothing with thread.

"The button, in fact, was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the

earliest known being found at Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved

shell and about 5000 years old." - Ian McNeil (1990)

















39. They made the world’s oldest signboard!

In 1999, at Dholavira, archaeologists have discovered what apparently is the world’s

first signboard. This board had stone symbols/letters of over 30 cms in height inlaid

in a wooden frame. Since the Indus script has not been deciphered yet, we still

don’t know what it meant. But it is believed that it was placed at the façade of the

majestic north gate of the city’s citadel.

















40. People were very fond of games particularly dice games

The Harappans also made various toys and games, among them cubical dice (with

one to six holes on the faces), which were found in sites like Mohenjo-Daro. Other

toys include clay figures of bullock carts, miniature pots, utensils etc., spinning tops,

marbles and more. Thus, we can say that not only the children but even the adults

were playful in nature.

41. They were very advanced in Art and Craft

Harappan art and craft had achieved a level of sophistication

beyond its time. This can be seen from their ceramic and

terracotta potteries; bronze, copper and other metal artifacts;

their skills in bead-making, and other crafts.

This can be understood from the fact that the British

archaeologist, Sir John Marshall, who found the bronze Dancing Girl

statuette couldn’t believe that it predates Greek sculptures by

thousands of years.

“When I first saw them I found it difficult to believe that they were

prehistoric; they seemed to completely upset all established ideas about

















early art, and culture. Modeling such as this was unknown in the ancient

world up to the Hellenistic age of Greece, and I thought, therefore, that

some mistake must surely have been made; that these figures had

found their way into levels some 3000 years older than those to which

they properly belonged ... Now, in these statuettes, it is just this

anatomical truth which is so startling; that makes us wonder whether, in

this all-important matter, Greek artistry could possibly have been

anticipated by the sculptors of a far-off age on the banks of the Indus.” -

Sir John Marshall

Mysteries that are yet to be solved: 42. We are not sure what happened to them

There are several theories as of what happened to the inhabitants of Indus Valley

civilization. But scholars are certain about one thing- it wasn’t invasion, disease or

similar catastrophe that wiped out the entire civilization. Instead, the population of

these cities declined gradually until they were finally deserted. It is quite possible

that these inhabitants migrated to different regions in search of better land and

resources. There are various reasons that have led to the decline of the Indus Valley

civilization.

















43. Exact use of the seals is still uncertain

More than 4000 flat, rectangular stone tablets called seals have been found. Seals

made of at least a dozen other materials are also found. The seals bear the images

of animals, god-like figures, etc., and inscriptions. Some of the seals were used to

stamp clay on trade goods, but they probably had other uses too. It is difficult to

say exactly what was the purpose of these ‘seals’ when the inscriptions have not yet

been deciphered.

44. The Indus Valley Script has not been deciphered yet

At least 400 different symbols have been identified inscribed in various objects.

These symbols usually appear in strings of 3-20. Despite best attempts by scholars

have not been able to translate or even interpret them in any way. This is one of the

most important reasons why we know very little about this civilization.

Some scholars even argue that whether these symbols should even be considered

as a script since no instance of any text longer than 20 symbols have ever been

















found. Others believe that these symbols refer to only names and do not give any

real meaning.

Computer analysis of these scripts has revealed that these symbols are a mixture of

sounds and concepts like the Egyptian Hieroglyphs. However, due to lack of any

medium to translate the language it still remains a mystery.

45. The invisible rulers of Indus Valley Civilization.

One of the factors that make this civilization so unique and that has surprised the

scholars is that there has been no mention of any ruler or powerful authority

throughout the region. Neither do we know anything about their governing system.

Although it is very clear that it is unlikely that such an organized and systematic

society can exist without any local and central control, these cities show very little

or no evidence of it whatsoever.

Contrary to all the other civilizations where a king or a priest were the central

figures of the entire political structure, existence of no such figure has ever been

found. The closest depiction of a figure is a terracotta sculpture of what is believed

to be the priest-king. The king or the ruler is totally absent from the art or any other

form of depiction.

46. Absence of any monumental structures, temples or palaces

Another astonishing fact that has surprised the researchers is the absence of any

structure which can be thought of central importance like a palace or a temple. The

presence of a temple or a palace is a standard feature of every other early

civilization. There are several public buildings like the Great Baths and granaries but

no structure can be even remotely related to a palace or temple. This has made

some scholars to believe that Indus Valley cities were an egalitarian society.

47. No imagery or evidence of Warfare

There have been no imagery or evidence of any war-like activities throughout the

civilization nor there were any weapons found in the cities. This makes us think that

they were probably a peaceful society. Compared to Mesopotamian city-states, who

















were at constant wars with each other and depicted their battles in their art and

written works, no such image of Harappan cities has been found.

48. We know nothing about political structure or religious beliefs

Very little knowledge of their political and religious hierarchy has been found. We

don’t know whom they worshiped or how they worshiped. There have been various

debates regarding the same but it is difficult to say anything for certain.

If you want to know more about Harappan Civilization you may check out these 8

books on Indus Valley Civilization. There are some amazing video courses at Great

Courses in their History Section.

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48 Lesser-Known Facts about Indus Valley Civilization · 48 Lesser-Known Facts about Indus Valley Civilization Out of the four great civilizations of the ancient world, three of them,

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