Indus River Valley Civilization

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Indus River Valley Civilization
http//worldheritage.heindorffhus.dk/pakistan-Moen
jodaro-IndusValleyMap.gif
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Economic Factors

• Main Products and Resources
• Indus Valley Civilization
• cotton cloth
• pottery
• bronze items
• gold and silver jewelry
• chert blades (similar to flint)
• economy based on tools, jewelry, and bronze
• Wheat, barley, melon seeds, sesame, mustard,
  dates, field pea
• Domesticated cats, dogs, goats, sheep, water
  buffalo, pigs and donkeys
• They also had camels and possibly elephants

http//www.nbz.or.jp/eng/palaeo001.jpg
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Economic Factors (IVC)

• Barter Economy
• Trade (by sea and land)
• Indus Pottery found in Mesopotamian city
• Traded with Egypt, Greece and Sumeria
• Imports gold from S. India, copper from
  Afghanistan, et al

www.harappa.com
http//www.csuchico.edu/cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fa
ll97/2chd.htm
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From harappa.com
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Technology

• Indus Valley Civilization
• Mathematics
• Advanced system of weights and measuring scales
• First uniform system
• Accurate length, mass and time measurements
• Smallest division was 1.704 mm, smallest in
  Bronze Age
• Hexahedron weights for measurement of mass
• Brick ratio of 421 which is optimal ratio still
  today
• Possibly used a base 8 number system
• Instrument to measure
• horizon and tidal docks

www.harappa.com
www.harappa.com
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Technology at IVC

• 4300 BCE copper tools
• 2600 BCE bronze (harder than copper)
• Written language of 400 symbols (not deciphered
  yet)
• Brick houses in standard sizes
• Had identical floor plan, but varied in size
• Houses had underground sewers
• Fired mud brick suggests temperature not ideal
  for sun-drying
• Private bathrooms and wells
• Windows to inner courtyards in middle of house
• Houses were two or three stories high
• Sophisticated urban design
• Citadels were 40-50 feet
• Streets were straight, and varied from 9-34 feet
  wide
• External drains and garbage chutes with features
  to enable maintenance
• Great Bath 39 ft x 23 ft x 8 ft deep pool
• Water diversion schemes instead of canals

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A well in Mohenjo-Daro
www.mohenjodaro.net
The Great Bath in Mohenjo-Daro
www.harappa.com
bbc.co.uk
A drain in Harappa
Bathing area and latrine in a courtyard
bbc.co.uk
A model of bullock carts
www.harappa.com
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From Harappa.com
wikipedia.org
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Technology

• Vedic Indo-Aryans Mathematics
• Development of geometry for religious purposes
• They used geometric shapes
• Triangles, rectangles, squares, trapezoids, and
  circles
• There was a list of Pythagorean triples
• Discovery of
• Addition, subtraction, division and
  multiplication
• Zero
• Prime numbers and others
• Base 10 number system

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Indus Seals From www.harappa.com
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www.regentsprep.org
Caste System 1. Brahman - Priests 2. Kshatriya -
Warriors / Officials 3. Vaishya - Merchants /
Artisans 4. Shudra - Peasants / Laborers
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Economic Factors

• Aryans
• bronze smiths made tools and weapons (bronze
  spears and swords)
• Horses and fast two-wheeled chariots
• 1000 BCE iron tools axes and knives produced
  cheaply
• Rice
• Trade Bartering with cattle and valuable items
• Money was unknown
• Agriculture became more important as communities
  settled down

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Technology (Aryans)

• Fast two wheeled chariots pulled by horses
• Bronze swords and spears
• Iron around 1000 BCE lowers price of production
  of axes and knives
• Houses made of bamboo and light wood

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Now and Then
http//www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asi
a/india_pop_1973.jpg
http//www.4to40.com/images/discoverindia/ancient_
indian_costume/mauryan_sunga_period/mauryan_sunga_
empires_map_big.gif