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In the 1870s, railroad workers while laying tracks found an ancient city with streets laid at right angles. They took bricks from the houses and streets to build a bridge across the Indus River. The Indus River is one of the longest rivers in south Asia and India was named after the Indus River Valley. Archaeologists found 100 other ancient cities and villages in the area. No one knows where these people came from. The civilization was in the Indus River Valley from 3500 BC to 2500 BC. They had two thriving cities which were Mohenjodaro and Harappa. These two cities had the population of more than 40,000 each while Sumerian cities only had 10,000 each.

The geography of the Indus River Valley will let you understand why this civilization settled here. India is a large peninsula and is so huge it is called a sub-continent. This peninsula extends south into the great Indian Ocean. The Indus River Valley is east of the Fertile Crescent. The Indus River is between the Himalayan and Hindu Kush mountains. These two mountain ranges has the highest mountain peaks and border rivers. Streams and rivers form the Indus River run into the Arabian Sea. The Indus River Valley had very fertile soil to have good farming. The fertile soil is like the soil of the Fertile Crescent and Nile River Valley. In the spring the snow melts in the mountains and flows into the Indus River. The Indus River brings silt from the mountains with rich minerals and floods also bring the rich minerals.

The Indus people had very productive farming. Farming became an important part for the economy of these people. There was plenty of water for good farming. By 4000 BC, people farmed along the banks of the Indus River and by 3000 BC irrigation began. People also farmed along tributaries which are small rivers and streams that flow into a larger river. They grew wheat, barley, peas, sesamum, and dates, as well as rice, mustard, melons, and other fruits. This civilization also grew cotton and was probably the first people to make clothes from cotton.

The clothes and hair styles of the Indus people were very similar to those of the Sumerians in the Fertile Crescent. The men had a trimmed beard and shaven upper lip. The men’s hair was rolled into a bun and held at the back with a fillet. Men wore a light robe and left the right shoulder bare. The women had many necklaces and an ornamental belt around their waist. The women also had huge headdresses and wore mini-skirts.

This ancient civilization were very civilized people for this time. They might have had an organized government and even cemeteries. The people produced copper, bronze, lead, and tin. The civilization also had gold jewelry, spears, and knives. They domesticated animals which include camels, goats, water buffaloes, fowls, and chickens. Other domesticated animals were humped cattle, dogs, pigs, horses, and may have included elephants too.

The cities of the Indus Valley were well planned and even had covered drains. The area of about 1,000 miles was built with bricks of the same size and weight. They used kilns to make bricks and used burnt bricks in domestic and public buildings. The Indus people had public buildings which included the Great Bath at Mohenjodaro. The civilization had vast granaries and water tanks. The center of the city had a massive citadel. People went to the citadel for protection when attacked and they were taller than most Sumerian ziggurats. Indus cities were paved and laid at right angles. Streets faced north, south, east, or west. Indus houses had protection against noise, odors, and thieves. Houses faced streets and were at least two stories high. Life was centered around an enclosed courtyard and there was a balcony over the courtyard. Each house had their own well and one even had a large bathtub. Indus houses had a brick staircase to lead to upper levels and roof.

Over 2,000 stone seals have been found in the Indus Valley. These seals were in quadrangular shapes and sizes were used in dabs of wet clay. These seals are some form writing, but unfortunately they have not been deciphered yet. These writings show they had a religion. The most common seal found was of an unicorn. Those found in Indus Valley were similar to those found in Mesopotamia. Seals from the Indus Valley were found in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf. Merchants from the Persian Gulf used these seals.

The people of the Indus River Valley civilization were great traders. Decorated bowls and vases discovered were made in Mesopotamia and to the far west. Artisans were highly skilled and specialized in different areas. Docks for ships were found which may have been for trading.Popular items traded were jewelry, cloth, razors, mirrors, toys, and fish hooks. Every merchant had their own personal seal. Traders from the Indus Valley traded with neighboring regions in India, Persian Gulf, and Sumer (Iran).

The Indus civilization had a polytheistic religion. They worshipped gods and goddesses in male and female form. Certain animals and human figures were worshipped. A bust of a priest was found which means they had priests. The religion also had rituals and ceremonies. Many terra-cotta statues of Mother Goddess have been found and she was worshipped in nearly every home. A seal shows seated horned deity surrounded by wild animals which could be the Hindu god Shiva as Pasupati, Lord of Beast. This could have been the early religious practices of Hinduism. The genesis to Hinduism is traced back to this time period. This civilization was known to have a script, but it has not been deciphered so far. Hindu scriptures that were written at this time were the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, etc. Also at this time the caste system began.

Historians are not sure why the people abandoned the area. They could have been declined because floods washed away villages, soil lost fertility, famine and drought caused people to flee, or ecological changes. Barbarian tribes from the northwest may have invaded the valley. The Aryans from central Asia migrated through Hindu Kush mountains. Aryans means "noble ones," and the Aryans could have had come after the cities were emptied. By 1500 BC the Indus River Valley civilization’s culture was wiped out.

These people as you can see were a great civilization. Bones of people show they had an intermingling of races. They also kept dog and cats for pets. Maybe in the future we will discover as many things about this great ancient civilization like the Sumerians and Egyptians.