LITTLE STAR HR. SEC. SCHOOL History Class 12 Ch. 1 : The Story of the First Cities : Harappan Archeology
Learning Material Content created by Madam Sushmita, Teacher, LSHSS
Lesson Edited by Madam Christina, Principal, LSHSS Chapter-1 • Broad Overview: Introduction • Sites of Harappan Civilization • Recast or Reconstructions of the Harappan Civilization • Town Planning: Harappan and Mohenjo Daro • Domestic Architecture • Artifacts • Sculpture • Pottery • Seals and Script
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • Harappan civilization - discovered in 1920-22 when two of its most important sites were excavated. • These were Harappa on the banks of the river Ravi and Mohenjo-Daro the banks of the Indus. • The first was excavated by D. R. Sahani and the second by R.D. Bannerii. • On the basis of the archaeological findings the Harappan civilization has been dated between 2600 B.C-1900 BC and is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. • It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘lndus Valley civilization’ because in the beginning majority of its settlements discovered were in and around the plains of the river Indus and its
tributaries. More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • But today it is termed as the Harappan civilization because Harappa was the first site, which brought to light the presence of this civilization. • Besides, recent archaeological findings indicate that this civilization was spread much beyond the Indus Valley. • Therefore, it is better it is called as the Harappan civilization. • It is the first urban culture of India and is contemporaneous with other ancient civilizations of the world such as those of Mesopotamia and Egypt. • Our knowledge of the life and culture of the Harappan people is based only on the archaeological excavations as the script of that period has not been deciphered so far .
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • Harappa • Mohenjodaro • Banawali • Rakhigarhi • Kotdiji • Chanhudaro • Dholavira • Lothal • Balakot • Kalibangan • Nageshwar
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com The archeologists tried to recast or reconstruct the Harappan life with the help of findings: • The first, In terms of material, such as stone, clay, bone, ivory, etc. • The second is to decide whether an artifact is a tool or an ornament or both or something for performing some rites or ceremonies • Third, the Archeologists also tried to identify the functions of an artefact by investigating the context in which it was found- was it found in a drain, in a grave, in a oven, or in a house. • Fourth, the archeologists sometimes take recourse to indirect evidence for example- there are no traces of cotton at some Harappan sites. To find out about clothing, they have to depend on indirect evidence including figures engraved on sculptures. More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • Harappa- Harappa is a ruined city on the banks of river Ravi in the Sahiwal district of Pakistan, the city seems to have been bigger than Mohenjodaro. Unfortunately, no written records about the Harappan Civilization have been discovered, though a number of seals discovered by the archeologists have some letters engraved on them, but they still remain a mystery. However, Archeologists tried to get a rough picture of this.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Earliest known culture based on the careful examination of the object unearthed at various places. They comprise of large building, dwelling houses, weapons of war, household implement, food material, ornaments, spinning, pottery, metal, clay and seals.
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Mohenjodaro, or "Mound of the Dead" is an ancient Indus Valley Civilization city that flourished between 2600 and 1900 BCE. It was one of the first world and ancient Indian cities. The site was discovered in the 1920s and lies on the bank of river Indus in the Larkana district of Sindh now in Pakistan. Mohenjodaro is a ancient planned city laid out on a grid of streets. The street layout was oriented toward the north- south and east direction. Mohenjodaro literally means the “place of dead”, where many skeletons are found.
It is nearly one square mile in area. More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Streets- • The streets were broad varying from 9 feet to 34 feet. • They ran straight to a mile. • They were suitable for wheeled traffic. • Lanes were joined with the streets. • Each lane had a public well. • Street lamps were provided for welfare of public.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system. If you look at the plan of the Lower Town you will notice that roads and streets were laid out along an approximate “grid” pattern, intersecting at right angles. It seems that streets with drains were laid out first and then houses built along them. If domestic wastewater had to flow into the street drains, every house needed to have at least one wall along a street.
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More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Dwelling Houses: • Smaller houses had two rooms, while larger houses had many rooms. • They were plain, utilitarian and comfortable to live. • Some of the buildings were probably multi storied. • Most of the houses had baths, wells and covered drains connected with street drains.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com ● Ordinary buildings had little ventilation arrangements, as doors and windows were rarely fixed in the outer walls. ● Doors of entrance were fixed not on the front wall but on the side walls. ● One could enter a house by the door facing the side lanes of the house. ● The doors were made of wood. Large buildings had spacious doors.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • An impressive building, used as a public bath. • The bathing pool is 39 feet by 23 feet wish 8 feet depth. • There is a system to fill and empty the water of the bathing pool. • There are galleries and rooms on all sides of the bathing pool. • This public bath was attached to the Mohenjo Daro fort where upper class people lived.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • 2 rows of 6 rooms and a Central Passageway about 7 meters wide, paved with Baked Bricks. • Each room of 15.2 by 6.1 meters. • Small triangular opening may have served as air ducts to allow the flow of fresh air beneath the hollow floors.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • The existence of a theocratic and authoritarian society indicated by the presence of large and welI-fortified citadels in each of the capital cities. • These citadels always face west which served as sanctuaries for the cities populations in times of chock and as community centres in fumes of peace. The citadel at Harappa measuring 400 ft. x 600 ft. on mound 40 ft high which faced foundation with brick embankment 45 ft. thick. The citadel at Mohenjo-daro included a very large building that may have been a palace.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Evidence of shell working was found at Chanhudaro and bangles and ladles were made at this site. Harappan seals were made generally in bigger towns like Larappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Chanhudaro which were involved with administrative network . An impressive workshop recognized as Bead Making Factories was found at Chanhudaro, which included a furnace, shell bangles, beads of many materials, steatite seals and metal works were manufactured at Chanhudaro. Copper knives, spears, razors, tools, axes, vessels and dishes were found, inspiring this site to be nicknamed as “Sheffield of India”. Copper fish hooks were also recovered from this site. Terracotta cart model, small terracotta bird when blown acts as whistle, ates, dishes were found. Male spear thrower or dancer a broken statue (4.1 cm) is of much importance, found at Chanhudaro, Indus Seals are also found at Chanhudaro. Building houses with baked bricks were used extensively at Chanhudaro and Mohenjo-Daro. Several constructions were identified as workshops or industrial quarters and some of the buildings of Chanhudaro might have been warehouses.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Seated male sculpture( priest king) seated male sculpture or priest king from Mohenjodaro. Fillet or ribbon headband with circular inlay ornament on the forehead and similar but smaller ornament on the right upper arm. The two ends of the fillet fall along the back and though the hut is carefully comb towards the back of the head. No bun is present. The flat back of the end may have held a separately carved bun as is tradition. On the other seated figures or it could have held a more elaborate horn and planted headdress.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Two holes beneath the highly styled ears suggest that a necklace or other head ornament was attached to the sculpture.
The left shoulder is covered with a cloak decorated with trefoil double circle and single circle designs that were originally filled with red pigment .
Drill holes in the center of each circle indicate they were made with a specialised drill and then touched up with chisel.
Eyes are deep carved and may have held in.
The upper lip is shaved and a short combed beard frames the face.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com The most beautiful of all the sculpture is a bronze figure of a dancing girl with a slim body, lanky legs, big eye and beautifully bunched curl hair. She wears nothing but a necklace and bangles. This model shows the excellence of metal craftsmanship of the Harappan people.
They knew the artMore of resources bronze available casting at www.littlestardimapur.com in Lost Wax. Humped Bull figure with mockeld head that is twisted in the side, and a mold used to make the head. The legs were made separated rather than being joined together. Hand formed body and attached head. Eyes are carved with appliqué pupils as on the large hollow bull figurines.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com Pottery-making was also an important industry in the Harappan period. These were chiefly wheeI-made and were treated with a red coating and had decorations in black. These are found in various sizes and shapes. The painted designs consist of horizontal lines of varied thickness, leaf patterns, palm and pipal trees. Birds, fishes and animals are also depicted on potteries.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • Seals and weights seals were used for LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORTATION. • SEALS were imprinted on a wet clay and that was attached to parcel. • Exchanges were regulated by precise system of WEIGHTS. • It had cubical shape, and made up of stone called chert
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com The Pashupati seal- • Place of Origin: Mohenjodaro. • This seal with buffalo-horned figure almost unanimously identified as Shiva in his form as Pashupati, Lord of animals • He has been portrayed as seated cross legged, that is, in Yogic 'padmasana', and wide-armed. • The arms of the image pointing towards the earth, the Yogic nature of the wide lapped stance and the curved horns • Natural enemies, wild and virile animals, buffalo, leaping tiger, rhinoceros and elephant all amicably surround the figure. More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • The unicorn is a mythological animal. • This seal shows that at a very early stage of civilization. • Humans had produced many creations of imagination in the shape of bird and animal motifs that survived in art.
More resources available at www.littlestardimapur.com • It’s called Harappan because this civilization was discovered first in 1921 at the modern site of Harappa situated in the province of west Punjab in Pakistan. • It was discovered by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921 B.C. • The Indus Valley Civilization named by Sir John Marshal. • The maximum number of sites were explored by S.R Rao, in Gujarat 190 sites, at present there are 350 sites have been excavated. • The largest Indus Valley Civilization site is Mohenjo-daro, and the smallest site is Allah Dino. The largest sites in India Dholavira and Rakhigarhi, The three nucleus sites are Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Dholavira.
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