Chapter 2- Section3

Indus valley

2500-1500 BC

Much known/left behind by Mesopotamia/Egypt

Cuneiform,Hieroglyphics,Hammurabi,pyramid

Not so for this culture,due to language never having been deciphered

Indian sub-continent

Pakistan

Bangladesh

Part of India

Natural Barriers

Highest mountains in the world

Hindu Kush

Karakorum

Himalayas

Serve to separate this area from the rest of Asia

Natural Barriers

Large desert to east protects this valley from invasion

Indus and Ganges rivers

The huge fertile plain that is formed by these two rivers is guarded by the

natural barriers

Farming

Tigris/Euphrates

Nile

Indus/Ganges

All of these rivers deposit silt after flooding which leaves land fertile

Monsoons

October-February

June – October

Powerful storms!

Much flooding!

Monsoons, cont.

If monsoons do not come-there is drought

If they are too severe-crops are destroyed

Mesopotamia/Egypt did not have to worry about this!

Indus river also floods, and it is very unpredictable

Who wants to live here?

Emerging Civilization

Earliest people-7000B.C.-3200B.C.

Where did they come from?

Historians not sure

No Rosetta stone for their language

Never been deciphered

We rely on artifacts to tell the story

Harappan Civilization

Started about 2500B.C.

About the time Egypt was building the pyramids

Over 100 settlements in this area(Indus valley)

What sets these people apart?PLANNING!

Strong centralized gov’t

Grid system for streets

Uniform brick size

Sewers/plumbing

Bathrooms in house!

3 story houses

City districts/walls

Religion

Mesopotamia-Ziggurat

Egypt-Pyramid

Harrappans-Citadel

Religion,con’t.

Artifacts suggest one religion

Theocracy?

Shiva(a major Hindu god) has been found in excavations

Harappan culture

Agricultural based

Traders

River linked to ocean

Traveled far!

Culture on the decline

What happened?

Earthquakes

Floods

1970’s science suggests some of each

Result was to alter the course of the river

No river-Now what?

No trade

No transportation

No farming

Cities/settlements vanish

Things to rememberThis area is called the Indian sub-continentPakistan/Bangladesh/part of IndiaMonsoons and effectsHarappansNo Rosetta stone to decipher languageHow city was plannedHow they endedTrade items-cotton,gold,silver,brightly colored cloth