Ancient Indus Civilization Videos

54 ancient Indus civilization videos curated by Ilona Aronovsky (the few worth watching).

Mohenjo-daro: Unsealing an Ancient Indus City

36:39

The 37-minute film explores one of the world's greatest lost civilizations through the eyes the founder of Harappa.com walking the site and exploring what we know — and still don't — about one of the world's greatest lost civilizations. >

New insights on the Urban phase of the Indus Valley tradition

1:32:43

Massimo Vidale

An excellent video, by a key thinker about the ancient Indus civilization with wide-ranging experience in neighbouring cultures. This talk was given in Chennai as the Iravatham Mahadevan Endowment Lecture on February 25, 2026. >

Caring for Mohenjo-daro

1:00:21

Uzma Rizvi

An overview, with very recent drone footage, of the site describing a major project to understand the site better on a micro-level and the many methods of "care" involved in its maintenance, then and now. >

The Discovery of the Ancient Indus Civilization September 20, 1924

1:53

Harappa.com

On September 20th, 1924 Sir John Marshall published his story A FORGOTTEN AGE REVEALED that announced the discovery of the ancient Indus civilization to the world for the first time. >

How do you map the archaeological heritage of South Asia?

1:14:19

Cameron Petrie

An important video that describes how surveying archaeological sites at scale in India and Pakistan can be undertaken, using survey of India maps from the colonial period to help locate potential locations of interest. >

Indians - A Brief History of a Civilization: Ep 1 - The Harappans

24:07

Namit Arora

A very well produced and visually rich introduction to the ancient Indus civilization with Namit Arora, the first of a six part series on the long history of Indians today. Extensive scenes of Dholavira and its possible stadium. Sticks to the facts, and is generally careful about speculation. >

Signs of the Indus Script and their Variants

24:46

Asko Parpola

Dr. Asko Parpola takes an in-depth look at the recent claims of other researchers like Bryan K. Wells and Andreas Fuls that the Indus script has upward of 700 different signs. >

Seal-based Administrative Technology and Procedures in the Indus Civilisation: The Lothal Clay Seal Archive

21:29

Dennys Frenez

A very nicely illustrated exposition of the unique set of 70 baked clay sealings found in Lothal, Gujarat by an archaeologist who has long been investigating what they tell us about ancient Indus trade and administrative practices. >

Dholavira, Gujarat: Preventive Conservation of a World Heritage Bronze Age Site in India

29:35

V. N. Prabharkar

A well-illustrated overview of the ancient Indus site of Dholavira, its history and construction with a leading authority on the civilization in Gujarat, India. >

Building a Heterarchic Society The Concept of City and Urban Life in the Indus Civilization

27:51

Dennys Frenez

Drs. Dennis Frenez and Massimo Vidale, two leading Indus scholars discuss the layout and features in Mohenjo-daro, including the so-called "Little Great Bath" and Indus water symbolism. Interesting conjectures around, for example, structures around trees in the city, as well as some of the more interesting houses in the city's HR-A area, including Marshall's House VIII that suggests some houses endured, with changes, for centuries. >

Indus Seals in Gujarat: New Insights into Carving Styles, Production Techniques, Chronology and Regional Variation in the Indus Civilization

27:25

Gregg M. Jamison

Ancient Indus sites in Gujarat have both Indus and non-Indus material culture, revealing a distinct regional integration that "parallels other ancient and modern globalization processes," in the words of Dr. Jamison. Seals are a great source of studying this interaction: how are these seals both different and similar? >

Harappan Seals and Sealings from Bagasra and Shikarpur: Some Preliminary Observations

43:57

P. Ajithprasad

P. Ajithprasad and Gregg Jamison expertly review two recently excavated fortified sites in Gujarat and the seal and sealing finds in stratigraphic context to speculate on their use and purpose. >

The Power of Repetition: Form, Function and Iconography of Small Molded Indus Civilization Artifacts

26:20

Marta Ameri

Dr. Marta Ameri discusses the various types of seals and sealings, with emphasis on the fact that seals were primarily made to be reproduced. >

Changes and Continuities in Seal Carving Techniques: Function and Artistry of the Indus and Indo-Gangetic Traditions

25:48

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

From the earliest bone seal fragment discovered at Harappa, from 4000 BCE to the varied, diverse seals of around 2500 BCE to the later, fewer ones after 1900 BCE, Jonathan Mark Kenoyer discusses styles and technologies in a long seal-making tradition. >

Inscribed Material from the Harappan Site of Karanpura, Rajasthan (India)

19:14

V. N. Prabharkar

A fascinating look at inscribed objects from a site near Rakigarhi, which goes from the inscriptions that likely belonged to spindle whorls used by weavers to more complex identity and other graffiti markers that may have designated ownership. >