The first urban settlement of the Early Harappan phase was Mehrgarh (in present-day Baluchistan). The people in Mehrgarh used stone tools in the initial. There is no evidence of the use of pottery in this settlement. In the second phase of urban development, there was some advancement in stone tools and pottery began to be…
The Granary of Mohenjodaro was discovered in 1950 by Sir Mortimer Wheeler. This was a massive wooden structure. The Granary was well equipped with grain-storage bays. It also had air ducts to dry the grain. Archaeologists such as Wheeler have suggested that grains were brought directly from the countryside and stored in the storage bays….
The settlement of Mohenjodaro had many residential buildings in the Lower Town. In each of these buildings, there was a central courtyard with rooms on all sides. The courtyard seems to be the centre of all household activity, such as cooking and weaving, particularly during hot and dry weather. Another important feature of this architecture…
Excavations at many Harappan settlements have revealed the existence of wells. These wells were attached to houses. Wells were the primary means of drawing water that were used extensively by the people. Wells were constructed inside a room which could be reached from the outside. These could also be used by passers—by and guests. According…
The drainage system of the Harappan civilisation was carefully planned. It is considered to be one of the best features of Harappan town planning. In the Lower Town, roads and streets were laid out along a grid pattern which intersected at right angles. Streets with drains were laid out first and then residential houses were…
The Harappan civilisation is renowned for its meticulous town planning. Before constructing structures, platforms were built. Once the platforms were in place, all building activities in the city were restricted to the fixed area on the platforms. These platforms were built in order to save the houses during floods. Hence, planning was the first step…
The site of Lothal in Gujarat reveals a very different layout as compared to sites like Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Kalibangan. Lothal was a rectangular settlement which was surrounded by a brick wall. The settlement was not divided into a Citadel and Lower Town. On the eastern side of the settlement, there was brick basin which…
There are several theories concerning the type of political administration in the Harappan civilisation: Some archaeologists have labelled Mohenjodaro as a palace and a stone statue was labelled as a priest-king. The city would have served as the centre of political power. According to some archaeologists, Harappan society had no rulers and everybody used to…
The archaeologists reconstruct the past through several methods: They perform excavations at different sites and gather the artefacts obtained from those sites. The artefacts are properly studied by the archaeologist which help them in understanding about the customs and traditions of the people inhabiting the site of excavation. The discovery of potteries, seals, construction materials,…