Most Important Sites of Indus Valley Civilization UPSC Notes

Indus Valley Civilization Sites: The Indus Valley Civilization co-existed with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. The most important and major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization are Mohenjodaro and Harappa. These two major sites are located in present-day Pakistan. Mohenjodaro is located in Sindh and Harappa is located in West Punjab. The IVC Indian sites include Dholavira, Lothal, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, and Chanhudaro. These sites are located across different states in India. 

What is Indus Valley Civilization? 

The Indus Valley Civilization also known as the Harappan Civilization existed between 2500 BC and 1750 BC. The IVC was known to have well structured drainage systems, citadel, and lower town (Urban planning), etc was way ahead from their times. 

Various excavations led by the archaeologists in the 20th century have resulted in discovering various Indus Valley Civilization sites. Harappa was the first IVC Site founded in 1921 by Daya Ram Sahni. It is located in the Sahiwal District, Punjab on the banks of Ravi.

Indus Valley Civilization Sites in India: Location 

The first Indus Valley Civilization Site in India was Kalibangan. It was excavated in 1953 by Amlan and Ghose. The features of the site were:

• Location: It is located along the left bank of the river Ghaggar in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan.

• Key Features: Kalibangan has features significant to both the pre-Harappan and Harappan period. The key features are given below:

• The town was lower fortified

• There was wooden drainage systems

• It is well known for evidence like copper ox, wooden plough, fire altars, camel’s bones, and ploughed fields.

• There was also evidence of trepanned skulls.

• The other IVC Indian Sites are: Lothal, Surkotada, Banavali, Rakhigarhi, and Dholavira.

Four Major Indus Valley Civilization Sites

There are some of the major sites of IVC. Out of which the four most important major sites with their key features are mentioned below:

1. Mohenjodaro

2. Harappa

3. Dholavira

4. Rakhigarhi

Mohenjodaro

• Mohenjodaro was excavated by R.D. Banerjee in 1922. It was located in the Larkana District of Sindh on the bank of Indus river.

• The key features of Mohenjodaro are:

• Great bath

• Granary

• Uniform buildings and weights

• Assembly Hall

• Lower Town

• Notable Artefacts: Statues of mother goddess (terracotta sculpture), priest king (steatite sculpture), Bronze sculpture of a dancing girl, Pashupati seal, and various other things like ivory, lapis, carnelian, and gold beads, along with baked-brick city buildings.

Harappa

• Harappa, an IVC site, was excavated by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921 at Sahiwal District, Punjab on the banks of Ravi.

• The key features of the Harappan site are:

• It was an urban centre.

• The town was laid out on a grid plan.

• It has some impressive buildings like a granary and citadel.

• Elaborate drainage system made of baked bricks.

• Redware pottery was the most common.

• Shell making was also done which is evident from the seals found consisting of various animal motifs.

• Evidence of coffin burials.

• Granary was located in the Citadel.

Dholavira

• Dholavira was excavated in 1985 by RS Bisht in Kadir Beyt island, located in Gujarat. It was designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

• The key features includes:

• It has fortified castles, bailey, ceremonial ground, middle town, and lower town.

• Some of the best stone architecture.

• A signboard with Indus script.

• It has large reservoirs and there was an efficient system to collect water from the city walls and house tops to fill these water tanks.

Lothal

• Lothal was discovered by R. Rao in 1953 in Gujarat on Bhogva river near the Gulf of Cambay.

• The salient features of Lothal includes:

• It is one of the southernmost sites of IVC.