Evolution

Having toured the ruins of the Egyptian civilization in Cairo, Mayan in Guatemala/Mexico, Inca in Peru, what intrigues me about the Indus Valley civilization is that it was prosperous, peace loving AND egalitarian. I don't believe there is other precidence of these elements in unison being maintained over millenia. Clearly this is something worth researching to find clues of how to create sustainability in today's world.

Or is there any indication of war between these populations?

Rita Wright

There are Mesopotamian texts from the Akkadian period (2350 – 2200 BC) that speak about battles in which the people of Meluhha were involved. This seems kind of far fetched since the battles took place in what today is eastern Iran. There is very little evidence for warfare in the Indus, as you probably know, but still they appear to have thought they were engaged in battles with the Indus or for political reasons they found it useful to say so.

Evolution or Revolution? Has recent research (that of the last 20 years ) given any new insights? Submitted by Gharial Abramnova from school student questions

Answer to question 52. from our panel of leading ancient Indus archaeologists.

Answered by Mayank Vahia.

How much of the area that we now see as desert was actually forested in those times?

The Elamites are said to be Tamilians and so are the Indus Valley people. Were the people of common ethnic origin? Further the word Dravidians is supposed be derived from the word Tamilian? Is this true? Submitted by Anil. Editor’s note: In general, could you please explain the distinction between ethnicity and language and the extent to which they can be expected to overlap.

We can say that the bulk of the development of the Harappan civilization happened in the Indus Valley itself. What can you comment about their relationship with other cities in Anatolia after the discovery of the city of Catal Huyuk by the English archaeologist James Mellaart in 1958. Is Catal Huyuk a more primitive precursor of this civilization or they parallel developments? Submitted by Martin Piattini Velthuis

Why were there (terracotta) balls on the Citadel wall in Mohenjo-Daro? Have any more statues been found or anything like a temple? Have you found out any more information on the Indus leaders or their names? Submitted by Gharial Abramnova from school student questions

Harappan Civilisation is often characterised (for example by the Director of the British Museum on a Radio 4 series) or even idealised as peaceful and without warfare or conquest, (in comparison with all other First Civilisations) with its cities linked across vast regions and unified (variously) by trade and/or religion. Rulers have even been said to be priests or a theocracy. These interpretations are often presented as facts in books or articles for general consumption.