Mohenjo-daro 1

Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro(Urdu) موئن جودڑو

(Sindhi) موئن جو دڙو

The excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro in present-day Sindh, Pakistan.

Shown within Pakistan

Location Sindh, Pakistan

Coordinates 27°19′45″N 68°08′20″E [1]Coordinates: 27°19′45″N 68°08′20″E [1]

Type Settlement

History

Founded 26th century BCE

Abandoned 19th century BCE

Cultures Indus Valley Civilization

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Official name: Archaeological Ruins of Mohenjo-daro

Type Cultural

Criteria ii, iii

Designated 1980 (4th session)

Reference No. 138 [2]

State Party  Pakistan

Region Asia-Pacific

Mohenjo-daro 2

Location of Mohenjo-daro within the Pakistani province of Sindh.Mohenjo-daro (IPA: [muˑənⁱ dʑoˑ d̪əɽoˑ], Urdu: موئن جودڑو, Sindhi: موئن جو دڙو, lit. Mound of the Dead; English

pronunciation: /moʊˌhɛn.dʒoʊHelp:IPA for English#Keyˈdɑː.roʊ/), is an archeological site in the province of Sindh,Pakistan. Built around 2600 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, andone of the world's earliest major urban settlements, contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt,Mesopotamia, and Crete. Mohenjo-daro was abandoned in the 19th century BCE, and was not rediscovered until1922. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1980.[] However, the site is currently threatened by erosion and improper restoration.[3]

NameMohenjo-daro, the modern name for the site, simply means Mound of the Dead in Sindhi. The city's original name isunknown, but analysis of a Mohenjo-daro seal suggests a possible ancient Dravidian name, Kukkutarma ("the city[-rma] of the cockerel [kukkuta]").[4] Cock-fighting may have had ritual and religious significance for the city, withdomesticated chickens bred there for sacred purposes, rather than as a food source.[5]

Location

Location of Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valleyand extent of Indus Valley Civilization (green).

Mohenjo-daro is located in the Larkana District of Sindh, Pakistan,[6]

on a Pleistocene ridge in the middle of the flood plain of the IndusRiver Valley, around 28 kilometres (17 mi) from the town of Larkana.The ridge was prominent during the time of the Indus ValleyCivilization, allowing the city to stand above the surrounding plain, butthe flooding of the river has since buried most of the ridge in depositedsilt. The site occupies a central position between the Indus River andthe Ghaggar-Hakra River. The Indus still flows to the east of the site,but the riverbed of the Ghaggar-Hakra on the western side is nowdry.[7]

Historical context

Mohenjo-daro was built in the 26th century BCE.[8] It was one of thelargest cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, also known asthe Harappan Civilization,[9] which developed around 3000 BCE fromthe prehistoric Indus culture. At its height, the Indus Civilization spanned much of what is now Pakistan and North

India, extending westwards to the Iranian border, south to Gujarat in India and northwards to an outpost in Bactria, with major urban centers at Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira and Rakhigarhi. Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro 3

was the most advanced city of its time, with remarkably sophisticated civil engineering and urban planning.[10]

When the Indus civilization went into sudden decline around 1900 BCE, Mohenjo-daro was abandoned.[8][11]

Rediscovery and excavationThe ruins of the city remained undocumented for over 3,700 years, until their discovery in 1922 by RakhaldasBandyopadhyay, an officer of the Archaeological Survey of India.[8] He was led to the mound by a Buddhist monk,who reportedly believed it to be a stupa. In the 1930s, major excavations were conducted at the site under theleadership of John Marshall, D. K. Dikshitar and Ernest Mackay.[] Further excavations were carried out in 1945 byAhmad Hasan Dani and Mortimer Wheeler.The last major series of excavations were conducted in 1964 and 1965 by Dr. George F. Dales. After this date,excavations were banned due to weathering damage to the exposed structures, and the only projects allowed at thesite since have been salvage excavations, surface surveys, and conservation projects. However, in the 1980s, Germanand Italian survey groups led by Dr. Michael Jansen and Dr. Maurizio Tosi used less invasive archeologicaltechniques, such as architectural documentation, surface surveys, and localized probing, to gather further informationabout Mohenjo-daro.[]

Architecture and urban infrastructure

View of the site, showing an ordered urbanlayout.

Mohenjo-daro has a planned layout based on a street grid of rectilinearbuildings. Most were built of fired and mortared brick; someincorporated sun-dried mud-brick and wooden superstructures. Thesheer size of the city, and its provision of public buildings andfacilities, suggests a high level of social organization. At its peak ofdevelopment, Mohenjo-daro could have housed around 35,000residents. The city is divided into two parts, the so-called Citadel andthe Lower City. The Citadel – a mud-brick mound around 12 metres(39 ft) high – is known to have supported public baths, a largeresidential structure designed to house 5,000 citizens, and two largeassembly halls.

The city had a central marketplace, with a large central well. Individual households or groups of households obtainedtheir water from smaller wells. Waste water was channeled to covered drains that lined the major streets. Somehouses, presumably those of wealthier inhabitants, include rooms that appear to have been set aside for bathing, andone building had an underground furnace (known as a hypocaust), possibly for heated bathing. Most houses hadinner courtyards, with doors that opened onto side-lanes. Some buildings had two stories.

In 1950, Sir Mortimer Wheeler identified one large building in Mohenjo-daro as a "Great Granary". Certainwall-divisions in its massive wooden superstructure appeared to be grain storage-bays, complete with air-ducts to drythe grain. According to Wheeler, carts would have brought grain from the countryside and unloaded them directlyinto the bays. However, Jonathan Mark Kenoyer noted the complete lack of evidence for grain at the "granary",which, he argued, might therefore be better termed a "Great Hall" of uncertain function.[11] Close to the "GreatGranary" is a large and elaborate public bath, sometimes called the Great Bath. From a colonnaded courtyard, stepslead down to the brick-built pool, which was waterproofed by a lining of bitumen. The pool measures 12 metres(39 ft) long, 7 metres (23 ft) wide and 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) deep. It may have been used for religious purification.Other large buildings include a "Pillared Hall", thought to be an assembly hall of some kind, and the so-called"College Hall", a complex of buildings comprising 78 rooms, thought to have been a priestly residence.Mohenjo-daro had no circuit of city walls, but was otherwise well fortified, with guard towers to the west of the main settlement, and defensive fortifications to the south. Considering these fortifications and the structure of other

Mohenjo-daro 4

major Indus valley cities like Harappa, it is postulated that Mohenjo-daro was an administrative center. BothHarappa and Mohenjo-daro share relatively the same architectural layout, and were generally not heavily fortifiedlike other Indus Valley sites. It is obvious from the identical city layouts of all Indus sites that there was some kindof political or administrative centrality, but the extent and functioning of an administrative center remains unclear.Mohenjo-daro was successively destroyed and rebuilt at least seven times. Each time, the new cities were builtdirectly on top of the old ones. Flooding by the Indus is thought to have been the cause of destruction.

Notable artifactsNumerous objects found in excavations at Mohenjo-daro include seated and standing figures, copper and stone tools,carved seals, balance-scales and weights, gold and jasper jewellery, and children's toys.[12]

Dancing Girl

"The Dancing Girl", a bronzestatuette.

A bronze statuette dubbed the "Dancing Girl", 10.8 centimetres (4.3 in) highand some 4,500 years old, was found in Mohenjo-daro in 1926. In 1973, Britisharchaeologist Mortimer Wheeler described the item as his favorite statuette:

"There is her little Balochi-style face with pouting lips and insolent lookin the eyes. She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but shestands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. Agirl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and theworld. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world."

John Marshall, another archeologist at Mohenjo-daro, described the figure as "ayoung girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightlyforward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet."[13] Thearchaeologist Gregory Possehl said of the statuette, "We may not be certain thatshe was a dancer, but she was good at what she did and she knew it".

Mohenjo-daro 5

Priest-King

"The Priest-King", a seated stonesculpture.

In 1927, a seated male soapstone figure was found in a building with unusuallyornamental brickwork and a wall-niche. Though there is no evidence that priestsor monarchs ruled Mohenjo-daro, archeologists dubbed this dignified figure a"Priest-King"; like the Dancing Girl, it has become symbolic of the IndusValley Civilization. It is on display in the National Museum of Pakistan.

The sculpture is 17.5 centimetres (6.9 in) tall. It depicts a bearded man, with afillet around his head, an armband, and a cloak decorated with trefoil patternsthat were originally filled with red pigment. The two ends of the fillet fall alongthe back. The hair is carefully combed towards the back of the head but no bunis present. The flat back of the head may have held a separately carved bun, or itcould have held a more elaborate horn and plumed headdress.

Two holes beneath the highly stylized ears suggest that a necklace or other headornament was attached to the sculpture. The left shoulder is covered with acloak decorated with trefoil, double circle and single circle designs that wereoriginally filled with red pigment. Drill holes in the center of each circle indicate they were made with a specializeddrill and then touched up with a chisel. The eyes are deeply incised and may have held inlay. The upper lip is shaved,and a short combed beard frames the face.

The Shiva Pashupati seal.

Pashupati seal

A seal discovered at the site bears the image of a seated, cross-legged and possiblyithyphallic figure surrounded by animals. The figure has been interpreted by somescholars as a yogi, and by others as a three-headed "proto-Shiva" as "Lord ofAnimals".

Conservation and current state

Surviving structures at Mohenjo-daro.

Preservation work for Mohenjo-daro was suspended in December 1996after funding from the Pakistani government and internationalorganizations stopped. Site conservation work resumed in April 1997,using funds made available by the United Nations Educational,Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The 20-year fundingplan provided $10 million to protect the site and standing structuresfrom flooding. In 2011, responsibility for the preservation of the sitewas transferred to the government of Sindh.[14]

Currently, the site is threatened by groundwater salinity and improperrestoration. Many walls have already collapsed, while others arecrumbling from the ground up. In 2012, Pakistani archaeologists warned that, without improved conservationmeasures, the site could disappear by 2030.[3][15]

Mohenjo-daro 6

References[1] http:/ / tools. wmflabs. org/ geohack/ geohack. php?pagename=Mohenjo-daro& params=27_19_45_N_68_08_20_E_type:landmark[2] http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ en/ list/ 138[3] "Mohenjo Daro: Could this ancient city be lost forever?" (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ news/ magazine-18491900). BBC. 27 June 2012.

Retrieved 27 October 2012.[4] Iravatham Mahadevan. "'Address’ Signs of the Indus Script" (PDF) (http:/ / www. thehindu. com/ multimedia/ archive/ 00151/

Dr_Iravatham_Mahade_151204a. pdf). Presented at the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010. 23–27 June 2010. The Hindu.[5] Poultry Breeding and Genetics (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=VMSF7m2CFTEC& pg=PA11& lpg=PA11& dq=indus+ valley+

cockfight& source=bl& ots=9dMOP7meiJ& sig=t9KPoYu2Vni-Iot0mhcK9q2LCJI& hl=en& sa=X& ei=jgb7T8LGA4X48wTTwtTYBg&ved=0CFoQ6AEwBw#v=snippet& q=mohenjo& f=false). R. D. Crawford (1990). Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 10, 11, 44. Mohenjo-daromay have been a point of diffusion for the eventual worldwide domestication of chickens.

[6] "Lost City of Mohenjo Daro" (http:/ / science. nationalgeographic. com/ science/ archaeology/ mohenjo-daro/ ). National Geographic.Retrieved 2012-04-08.

[8] Ancientindia.co.uk. (http:/ / www. ancientindia. co. uk/ indus/ explore/ his03. html) Retrieved 2012-05-02.[10] A H Dani (1992). "Critical Assessment of Recent Evidence on Mohenjo-daro". Second International Symposium on Mohenjo-daro, 24–27

February 1992.[11] Kenoyer, Jonathan Mark (1998). “Indus Cities, Towns and Villages.” Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. Islamabad: American

Institute of Pakistan Studies. p.65.[12] Mohenjodaro Tools and Artifacts Photo Gallery (http:/ / www. archaeologyonline. net/ artifacts/ photo-gallery-2. html). Archaeology

Online. Retrieved 2012-04-08.[14] "Responsibility to preserve Mohenjodaro transferred to Sindh" (http:/ / www. thenews. com. pk/

Todays-News-4-30318-Responsibility-to-preserve-Mohenjodaro-transferred-to-Sindh). TheNews.com.pk. 10 February 2011. Retrieved2012-05-14.

[15] "Moenjodaro in Danger of Disappearing, Says Pakistani Archaeologist" (http:/ / globalheritagefund. org/ onthewire/ blog/ mohenjodaro_1).Global Heritage Fund blog article.

External links• UNESCO World Heritage Sites (http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ en/ list/ 138/ )• Harappa.com (http:/ / www. harappa. com)

• Harappa geography (http:/ / www. harappa. com/ har/ indus-saraswati-geography. html)• Archaeology.about.com (http:/ / archaeology. about. com/ od/ indusrivercivilizations/ a/ dancinggirl. htm)• HistoryWorld (http:/ / www. historyworld. net/ wrldhis/ PlainTextHistories. asp?historyid=ab73)• Civilizations in Pakistan (http:/ / www. cybercity-online. net/ Pakistan/ html/ civilizations_in_pakistan. html)• Mohenjo-daro lifestyle (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ query?url=http:/ / www. geocities. com/ siyal/

moenjodaro. htm& date=2009-10-25+ 21:19:35)• Archaeological Ruins of Mohenjo-daro on Global Heritage Network (http:/ / www. ghn. globalheritagefund. org/

explore. php?id=836)

Article Sources and Contributors 7

Article Sources and ContributorsMohenjo-daro  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=569156870  Contributors: -- April, 5 albert square, 6birc, 7, A. Parrot, A.Ou, Achowat, Adam.J.W.C., Adashiel, Addshore,Aelfthrytha, Aitias, Alan Joyce, Alansohn, Ale jrb, Alixafar, All Worlds, Alpha Quadrant, Ambuj.Saxena, AmeriDesi, Amillar, Anaxial, Anclation, Andonic, Angel ivanov angelov, AnonMoos,Antandrus, Antifamilymang, Anupam, Appple, ArglebargleIV, Arthurrohan, Artmartxx, Arvind Iyengar, Arvindn, Arwel Parry, Asdefgh, AshLin, Ashok Rajpal, AtticusX, Avenged Eightfold,Awiseman, Aymankamelwiki, Azoreg, Bakasuprman, BanyanTree, Bhadani, Bjh21, Bobo192, Bonadea, Br10ta10, Brandmeister, Branka France, BrightStarSky, Burnedthru, Burschik, Byrial,C.Fred, Calabe1992, Calliopejen1, Caltas, Camw, Capricorn42, Catgut, Cccs123, Chunky Rice, Closedmouth, Cmc1112, Cmglee, Comprocky, Connormah, CopperSquare, Coyets,Cremepuff222, Crispy park, Culturalheritage, D, DVD R W, Damianrene01, Dan6hell66, Dangerous-Boy, Danialahmed021, DanielleRyanwwoof, DavidLevinson, Dbachmann, Den123456dk,Discospinster, Dougweller, Dvl007, Edgar181, EditMan13, Edwy, Eeera, Eliz81, Elliskev, Elockid, Epbr123, Eranb, Erik9, Erikvanthienen, Excirial, Falcon8765, Falconus, Falcorian, Fast track,Fastily, Feedonfoo, Feitclub, FelisLeo, Folks at 137, Fowler&fowler, Fuzheado, GeoffCapp, Gfoley4, Glacialfox, Glenn, Godanov, Gould363, GreetingsEarthling, GregorB, Grjatoi, Gryffindor,Gñap893, Gökhan, Hadal, Haploidavey, Harappa2, Harzem, Hazard-SJ, Henrygb, Hgilbert, Hind meri jaan, Holmeyg87, Honeymw009, Hotcrocodile, Hottentot, Hydra19, HyperSonic3, I amkutta, IRP, Iamreallydumb123456789, Ida Shaw, Iminaaa, Inawjet, Indusengineer, Intothefire, Islescape, It Is Me Here, J.A.McCoy, J.delanoy, JForget, JLaTondre, JPX7, Jaba1977, Jagged 85,JamesA, JamesAM, January, Jauerback, Jethwarp, Jkforde, Jlandahl, Joey80, John Smythe, John254, JohnCD, Johnbibby, Johnny1988, Jomasecu, Jovianeye, Jpgordon, Jsjoberg, Justake626626,KATANAGOD, KRajaratnam1, Kaaveh Ahangar, Kalogeropoulos, Kdhenrik, Keenan Pepper, Ken Gallager, Khalidkhoso, Khazar, Knowledge Seeker, Kordas, Ksyrie, Kubigula, Kwamikagami,L Kensington, Lady Mondegreen, LadyInGrey, Laguna CA, LaurenceJA, Leslie Mateus, Lokeshthimmana, Lorin daughton, Lossenelin, M.Imran, MMuzammils, Madhero88, Majorly,Manishearth, Mar4d, Masalai, Materialscientist, Mathematicalgenius, MatthewVanitas, Maxcrc, Mboverload, Michaelmas1957, Michale245, Miguel, Minho0327, Misaq Rabab, Mzmadmike,N5iln, Nabil rais2008, Natansh Modi, Nataraja, NawlinWiki, Nepenthes, NewEnglandYankee, Night w, NikoSilver, Nishkid64, Numbo3, Oliverlyc, Onlim, Only, Orphan Wiki, OverlordQ,Oxymoron83, Pahari Sahib, Pharaoh of the Wizards, Pigslookfunny, Podzemnik, Polylerus, PranksterTurtle, Priyanath, Prohairesius, PrometheusX303, Prysm, Qbak, Qscott86, Qworty,Qwyrxian, Ragib, Rama's Arrow, Randhirreddy, RandomP, Rao Ravindra, Rayabhari, Reahad, Recognizance, Reinsarn, Retaggio, Riana, Robbiemuffin, Romanm, Royboycrashfan, Roylee,Runningonbrains, Rursus, Ryucloud, Sam8477, Samar, Sanskritg, Sardanaphalus, Sburke, Scarian, Scorpiona, Sennen goroshi, Sesu Prime, Shanmugamp7, Siddiqui, Silver crescent,Sindhutvavadin, Siqbal, Skinsmoke, Skylark42, Skyscrap27, Slakr, Slawojarek, Snow Blizzard, Some jerk on the Internet, Spasemunki, Spidey9995, Squids and Chips, Stephenb, Stepheng3,Steventity, Suisui, Summer Song, Sun Creator, Szhaider, Taranah, The Determinator, TheNewPhobia, TheSuave, Thisguy12, Thisisborin9, Tide rolls, Tkynerd, Tohd8BohaithuGh1, Tomharrison, Tony Sidaway, Trevor MacInnis, Tryetryetrye, Ufwuct, Uglydhanul, Unre4L, Updatehelper, Utcursch, Vamooom, Vanished user qwqwijr8hwrkjdnvkanfoh4, Vary, Vasiľ, VickiRosenzweig, Vishnava, Vivin, Vkvora2001, WadeSimMiser, Warofdreams, Webkami, Weeliljimmy, Wiki-uk, WikipedianMarlith, Wikipeditor, Wilsonm, Wknight94, Woohookitty, Xinjao,YellowMonkey, Yellowmellow45, Yonderboy, Yvwv, Zacho552, Zaidiwaqas, Zidonuke, Милан Јелисавчић, 760 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Mohenjo-daro-2010.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mohenjo-daro-2010.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Comrogues from SanFrancisco, Californiafile:Pakistan location map.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Pakistan_location_map.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors:NordNordWestFile:Flag of Pakistan.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Pakistan.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Zscout370file:Sindh Divisions.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Sindh_Divisions.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: User:SakibImage:CiviltàValleIndoMappa.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CiviltàValleIndoMappa.png  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Ekabhishek,Jungpionier, MM, Roland zhFile:Mohenjo-daro.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mohenjo-daro.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: User:GrjatoiFile:Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Dancing_Girl_of_Mohenjo-daro.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Joe RaviFile:Mohenjo-daro Priesterkönig.jpeg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mohenjo-daro_Priesterkönig.jpeg  License: Creative Commons world66  Contributors:Gryffindor, Jungpionier, Look2See1, Mmcannis, Oksmith, Roland zhImage:Shiva Pashupati.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Shiva_Pashupati.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: unknown Indus Valley Civilization sealmakerfrom Mohenjodaro archaeological siteFile:Ghanghro location.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ghanghro_location.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Original uploader was Ghanghro aten.wikipedia

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