CHAPTER 3SECTION 1

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

A. The Geography of South Asia

The region is located on a subcontinent, Geographically set off from the rest of Asia by mountains and water ,the subcontinent forms of triangle.

A. The Geography of South Asia

The Land the Mountains, and the Rivers The northern border of the Indian

subcontinent is marked by the rough but beautiful Himalayas.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain, a plain that is watered by the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra Rivers.

The coastal plains lie on the eastern coast of India facing the Bay of Bengal.

A. The Geography of South Asia

The Climate The climate of the Indian subcontinent varies

quite a bit. Monsoons are characterized by seasonal

winds from the ocean. The Monsoon winds bring very heavy rainfall

during part of the year.

B. The Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley civilization was located in what is now Pakistan and northwestern India.

B. The Indus Valley Civilization

Farming and Trade The Indus Valley people had many items to

use for trade. Skilled craftspeople in the cities wove cotton

and made jewelry and furniture. They raised wheat, barley, cotton, and fruit on

farmlands near the cities.

B. The Indus Valley Civilization

A Network of settlements The settlements of the Indus Valley had links

with other villages located on or near the Indus Valley itself.

Overtime a gradual change occurred among some settlements that were located far from certain types of materials.

People in the villages must have brought in the stones from other areas.

C. The Cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

The main streets of the cities formed a well organized grid system with streets running parallel to one another.

C. The Cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Building Houses The most common building material at

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro was brick. The sizes of houses varied from one-room

barracks to large homes with central courtyards.

Plumbing in these settlements was the most advance in the world.

C. The Cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Communications and Crafts People of the Indus Valley may have been

seafers and traders who sailed along the coastline and on the regions many rivers.

Indus pottery found its way to Mesopotamia. Various objects found by archaeologists tell

about games and toys of the Indus people.

D. Culture, Religion, and Decline

Archaeological evidence from the Indus Valley civilization continues to be unearthed and analyzed.

D. Culture, Religion, and Decline

Writing and Language It appears that they had some sort of writing

but its unclear what language they spoke. Archaeologists have found some seals with a

type of script carved on them. No one knows how to read it but if we knew

how to translate there language we might learn more.

D. Culture, Religion and Decline

Indus Valley Religion It is not clear what role religion played in the

Indus valley civilization. Many terra cotta figurines mostly of females

appear to represent gods or goddesses. Numerous seals have been unearthed.

D. Culture, Religion and Decline

The Decline and Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization There may have been a gradual change in the

climate that forced people to leave the city. It might have been because of a flood or a

disease. They found the remains of some bodies.

Research Slide

Language of the Indus people One of the greatest unsolved mysteries about

the Indus Valley civilization is the language. It appears that they had some sort of writing,

but it is unclear what language they spoke. Archaeologists have found some seals with a

type of script carved on them.