Harappan Civilisation

INTRODUCTION TO HARAPPA

The Harappan civilization, also known as the Indus Valley civilization, is one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations of the ancient world.

It flourished in the Indus Valley from about 2600 to 1900 BCE, which was its mature phase of the city. Apart from this first settlement in 1096 descovered sites dates back to 3200 BCE.

Civilisation is named after the city of Harappa because as per rules of nomenclature civilisation is named after first discovered site. Though Harappan civilisation is also known by several other names like Saraswati civilisation which is one of the ancient river earlier thought to be mythical but discovered recently. It is called Saraswati because most of the sites are on banks of Saraswati. Other popular name is Indus Valley civilisation because most important and first excavated sites were discovered on banks of Indus River.

Harappan civilisation largely remains unknown because less than 100 out of 1096 sites have been excavated and no site till date has been completely studied. While on other part of the world Europeans have over excavated Mesopotamia, so much so that we get evidence of Harappa from Mesopotamia. Egypt on other end is digging all land to find remains answer to its past.

It is failure on end of us only that we haven’t shown enough interest to compel more work and initiate conversation on possibly oldest civilisation.

The Harappan civilization is particularly significant for its sophisticated town planning, advanced drainage and water management systems, and its remarkable achievements in arts, crafts, and metallurgy.

Chapter 1: Town Planning

Indus Valley civilisation stands out when it comes to construction and not just any construction but constructing marvels. City of sizes that were not seen even after 1000 years of decline of Indus.

They had some remarkable features,

Uniform brick size in 1:2:4 ratio that is either 7,14,28 CM or 10,20,40 CM
They were using burnt baked bricks like we use today which gave their construction extra strength and life.
They were peace loving people as they constructed huge cities but not fortification of any sort
They didn’t build any palaces which signify that they beloved in equality, they build huge cities huge structures like great bath and great granary but missed palaces. Which indicates society was egalitarian.
Most of the cities were divided into 2 parts upper administrative centre and lower common city. Dholavira is one city which was one the greatest ports and largest city of the time built in 3 parts. It also is only found evidence of canal construction. Apart from this Lothal another port city and one of the richest of the time was built on one level only.
All cities were built in perfect grid pattern like our modern day cities, smaller streets opened on larger streets, houses opened on smaller streets, 1/3 of houses had wells inside. Pipes made of terracotta were laid in entire city to collect sewage from every house which had our so called English type pots. They also had proper shower system. The bricks were coated properly to make houses and drainage water tight.
Huge tanks were constructed outside city limits to ensure that sewage is properly collected and disposed off.
Every city was involved in some sort of commercial activity, as factories making buttons, beads, ships, seals, jeweller, clothes are found.
Many cities had two storied houses, considering they were built 4,000 years ago and still standing it surely is an engineering marvel.
Evidence found in Egypt and Mesopotamia also seals depicting two storied ships along with that huge inland ports found confirms us that ship building, port building and overseas. Trade was skill of Indus people.

Canal System

The Harappan civilization is also notable for its advanced canal system. The canals were used to irrigate crops and transport goods, and they were an important factor in the civilization's economic success.
The canal system was built using a combination of natural and artificial waterways. The canals were lined with bricks and were carefully engineered to ensure a steady flow of water. They were also equipped with sluice gates and locks to control the water flow.

Sustenance Patterns

The Harappan civilization was primarily an agricultural society. The people of this civilization grew a variety of crops, including wheat, barley, rice, and cotton. They also kept domesticated animals such as cows, goats, and sheep. DNA evidence indicates us that Indus people consumed all sorts of meat in their daily life as after pottery analysis remains of various animal meat was found.
The people of the Harappan civilization were skilled farmers and used advanced techniques such as crop rotation and fertilization to improve crop yields. They also used irrigation to ensure that their crops received enough water. Apart from this they had understood use of plough and use of carriage in cultivation.

Anthropological Aspects

The Harappan civilization was a diverse and complex society. The people of this civilization belonged to different social classes and had different occupations. Some were farmers, while others were artisans, merchants, or rulers.
The Harappan civilization was also notable for its high level of gender equality. Women played an important role in the society and had access to education and employment opportunities. They also enjoyed legal and economic rights, and some women even held positions of power.
The racial identity of the people of the Harappan civilization is a topic of debate among scholars. There is no clear consensus on the ethnicity or racial identity of the Harappan people, and it is difficult to determine this based on archaeological evidence alone.
The Harappan civilization was a complex society that consisted of people of different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. The skeletal remains that have been found at Harappan sites show a range of physical features, such as broad noses, thick lips, and dark skin, which suggest a mixed racial ancestry.
However, it is important to note that physical characteristics alone cannot be used to determine a person's race or ethnicity. The racial identity of the Harappan people can only be determined through a combination of archaeological evidence, linguistic analysis, and genetic studies, which are still ongoing.
DNA analysis of ancient Harappan individuals has been limited so far, and the results are inconclusive in determining the ethnic or ancestral origins of the Harappan people. However, recent studies have shown that the Harappan individuals had a higher level of Iranian-related ancestry than the present-day South Asian populations. This suggests that the Harappans may have had a complex genetic history, possibly involving migrations and intermixing with other populations over time.
Further genetic studies are needed to provide a more detailed understanding of the genetic ancestry of the Harappan people and their relationship with other ancient and modern populations. However, it is important to note that genetic ancestry alone cannot determine the cultural or linguistic identity of a population, and it is likely that the Harappan civilization was a complex and diverse society made up of people from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

Pottery

The Harappans were also skilled potters who produced a wide range of pottery objects, from simple storage vessels to highly decorated and ornamental pieces. They used a variety of techniques, such as wheel-throwing and firing, to create pottery of different shapes and sizes. The Harappans were also among the first civilizations to use glazes to decorate their pottery, and their techniques were highly advanced for their time. Their pottery was not only functional but also highly artistic, with intricate designs and patterns that reflected their cultural and religious beliefs.
Their pottery was either black and grey ware pottery which was basically burnt pottery over fire. They also used red ware pottery which was sun dried. Pottery fragments found all over the Harappan sites is major indicator of the culture, they created huge vases, apart from that storage cans, toys, even for funerals and burials Harappan pottery was always found.

Domestication of Animals

The people of this civilization domesticated a variety of animals, including cows, goats, sheep, and buffalo. Though there is no direct evidence of horse domestication, except one archeological find.

Domesticated animals were used for a variety of purposes, including milk, meat, and transportation. The people of the Harappan civilization also used animals to plow their fields and transport goods.

Metallurgy

The Harappans were skilled metallurgists who produced a variety of copper, bronze, and gold objects. The use of copper and bronze tools and weapons was widespread, and the Harappans were able to produce large quantities of these metals through sophisticated mining and smelting techniques. They also used gold for ornamental purposes and created intricate jewelry and other decorative objects. The Harappans' advanced knowledge of metallurgy enabled them to create objects of high artistic and functional value, and their techniques were later adopted by other civilizations in the region.

They used lost wax technique to create art objects and other metal objects. Dancing girl is probably the most famous example of. Harappan metallurgy and lost wax technique. They created jewellery, ploughs, instruments, decoration items, toys, some weapons, etc.

Pottery

The Harappans were also skilled potters who produced a wide range of pottery objects, from simple storage vessels to highly decorated and ornamental pieces. They used a variety of techniques, such as wheel-throwing and firing, to create pottery of different shapes and sizes. The Harappans were also among the first civilizations to use glazes to decorate their pottery, and their techniques were highly advanced for their time. Their pottery was not only functional but also highly artistic, with intricate designs and patterns that reflected their cultural and religious beliefs.

Their pottery was either black and grey ware pottery which was basically burnt pottery over fire. They also used red ware pottery which was sun dried. Pottery fragments found all over the Harappan sites is major indicator of the culture, they created huge vases, apart from that storage cans, toys, even for funerals and burials Harappan pottery was always found.

Textile Production

The Harappans were skilled weavers who produced a variety of textiles, including cotton, wool, and silk. They used a variety of techniques, such as spinning, weaving, and dyeing, to create textiles of different colors, textures, and patterns. The Harappans were also among the first civilizations to use the spinning wheel, a technology that enabled them to produce large quantities of thread quickly and efficiently. Their textiles were not only functional but also highly artistic, with intricate designs and patterns that reflected their cultural and religious beliefs. Cotton fragments found in various sites indicate that Harappans were quite fashionable they dressed well, they had their clothes decorated with various patterns.

The sculpture of great priest depicts that Harappans were skilled with inlay work. Apart from this most of the sculptures found and seals they depict that clothes were decorated with geometrical patterns.

Seals

One thing that stands out when it comes to Harappan civilisation is abundance of seals. Their use is exactly not known but they were even found in Mesopatamia.

Some believe it could be used for identity, trade, community ( many seals are similar also)

Seals are of various shapes, cylindrical, cube shaped just like a dice, rectangular most of the seals.

They depict culture in the greatest extent, they have undeciphered

script written over them.

The seals are made mostly of steatite, gold, agate, chert, ivory. About 90% of the seals were made of steatite. They depict, animals, religious practises and many more things. The most famous seal has to be Pashupatinath seal. It depicts image of a man sitting like like Hindu God Shiva, surrounded by animals sitting with folded legs.

Apart from this various seals depicts animals like rhinoceros, elephants, unicorns, buffalo, cows, lions, dogs etc. There is no depiction of Horse. In many seals people are seen worshiping trees, or rivers or mountains which make historians think that Harappans were nature worshipers.

Weights and Measurements-

Harappans excavation have lead to discovery of precise weights and measurements. They had weighting system in place which was used widely. They were measuring smallest of commodities and heaviest as well. Their weights were round or cubical in shape.

Scientific Achievements-

drainage system
Multi storied buildings
Water proofing
Embroidery on clothes
Beads
Commercial factories,
Fire altars
Buttons
English toilets
Showers
Steps
Spinning wheels
Burnt bricks
City planning
Toys

The scientific achievements of the Harappan civilization were significant and contributed to the development of many fields, such as metallurgy, pottery, and textile production. The Harappans' advanced knowledge of these sciences enabled them to create objects of high artistic and functional value, and their techniques were later adopted by other civilizations in the region. Despite the limited evidence available, it is clear that the Harappans were a highly advanced and sophisticated civilization that made significant contributions to the scientific knowledge of their time.