Mohenja-daro

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Mohenjo-daro meaning mound of a dead man. In present-day Mohenja-daro lies in the bank of river Ravi in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.  It was built around 2500 BCE. 

It was one of the largest settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization and one of the world's earliest major cities.

The word Mohenjo-daro had been because the city of Harappa and important Indus Valley sites was found on a series of mounds over 250 acres of land.

At its height, the Indus civilization spanned much of what is now Pakistan and north India, extending westward to the Iranian border, South to Gujrat in India, and northward to an outpost in Bactria.

Mohenjo-daro was the most advanced city of its time, with remarkably sophisticated civil engineering and urban planning.

Mohenja-daro had a planned layout with a rectilinear building arranged on a grid plan. Most were built of fire and mortared brick. Some incorporated sun-dried mud-brick and wooden superstructures.

The city was divided into two parts, the so-called citadel, and the lower city.

The citadel a mud-brick mound around 12 meters high is known to have supported public baths, large residential structures designed to house about 5000 citizens, and two large assembly halls.

The city had a central marketplace with a large central well. Individual households or groups of households obtained their water from smaller wells. Wastewater was channeled to covered drains that lined the major streets.

Some houses presumably those of more prestigious inhabitants include rooms that appear to have been set aside for bathing, and one building had an underground furnace possibly for a heated bath.

Most houses had inner courtyards with doors that opened onto side lanes. Some buildings had two storeys.

In 1950, Sir Mortimer identified one large building as a great granary. In its massive wooden superstructures, certain wall divisions appeared to the grain bays complete with air ducts to dry the grain.

It is fascinating that multistoried buildings were found at the site of Mohenjo-daro. 

Some signs prove that the Indus Valley Civilization had no monarchy. It was probably governed by an elected committee. 

There are around 1500 sites of the Indus valley civilization and no sign of warfare or weapons have been found. This implies that the Indus natives were peaceful in nature, making them vulnerable to foreign invaders.

The lifestyle and faith of the people of Harappa and Mohenja-daro are still under doubt. Some artifacts, such as the Pashupati seal suggest that the people would worship an animal deity who would protect them from wild beasts.

Mohenjo-daro had no city walls but was fortified with guard towards the west of the main settlement and defensive fortifications to the South.

The water supply system and wells being some of the first planned constructions with the excavations done so far, over 700 wells are present at Mohenjo-daro alongside drainage and bathing system.

The city also had large platforms perhaps intended as a defense against flooding.

For some archaeologists, it was believed that a final flood that helped engulf the city in a sea of mud brought about the abandonment of the site. 

Mohenjo-daro had a hot desert climate with extremely hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall was low and mainly occurs in the monsoon season.

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