IKS and Urban Planning (1).pptx very useful

Boron and its Compounds.pptx

1. IKS & Urban planning Indus Valley civilization

2. The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, is divided into three phases: Early Harappan : 3300–2600 BCE Mature Harappan : 2600–1900 BCE Late Harappan : 1900–1300 BCE  The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), also known as the Harappan Civilization, is one of the world's oldest urban cultures, flourishing between approximately 3300 BCE and 1300 BCE in what is now Pakistan and northwest India. It was a Bronze Age civilization that featured advanced urban planning, architecture, and social organization.

3. Geography and Major Sites Extent : The civilization spread over a vast area of more than 1.25 million square kilometers , covering parts of modern-day Pakistan, northwest India, and even northeastern Afghanistan. Major Sites : Key archaeological sites include Harappa (in Punjab, Pakistan), Mohenjo-Daro (in Sindh, Pakistan), Dholavira (in Gujarat, India), Kalibangan (in Rajasthan, India), Lothal (in Gujarat, India), Rakhigarhi (in Haryana, India), and Banawali (in Haryana, India).

4. Urban Planning and Architecture City Layout : Indus cities were well-planned, featuring a grid system with streets running at right angles. Cities were divided into two main sections: the Citadel (a raised area with important structures like granaries and assembly halls) and the Lower Town (residential and commercial areas). Drainage System : The drainage system was highly advanced, with houses connected to a network of covered drains lined with bricks. This indicates an emphasis on sanitation and public health. Houses and Buildings : Houses were made from baked bricks, with a standard size, and featured wells, bathrooms, and courtyards. Public structures, like the Great Bath in Mohenjo-Daro, served as ceremonial or community areas.

5. Economy and Trade Agriculture : The economy was largely based on agriculture, with crops like wheat, barley, peas, sesame seeds, and cotton. Irrigation systems were developed to manage water for farming. Craftsmanship : The Indus people were skilled in pottery, bead-making, metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin), and crafting seals. Trade : There is evidence of trade with Mesopotamia, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf region. Goods were transported using bullock carts and possibly boats along the Indus River and coastal areas.

6. Society and Culture Social Organization : The social structure seems to have been organized but not heavily hierarchical. There is no conclusive evidence of a king or palace, suggesting a form of governance that may have been more egalitarian or based on local administration. Writing System : The Indus script remains undeciphered. It consists of short inscriptions on seals and pottery, using symbols that may have represented words or sounds. Religion : There is no direct evidence of temples or religious texts, but artifacts suggest the worship of nature, fertility goddesses, and a male deity resembling Shiva. Sacred animals like bulls and unicorn-like figures appear frequently on seals. Art and Culture : Artifacts include terracotta figurines, beads, pottery, and seals. The civilization is known for the bronze statue of the "Dancing Girl" and the stone sculpture of the "Priest-King."

7. Technology and Innovation The people of the Indus Valley developed techniques in metallurgy, ceramics, and brick-making. The uniformity in weights and measures indicates a high level of standardization in trade and construction. Decline of the Civilization The decline of the Indus Valley Civilization around 1900 BCE is attributed to a combination of factors, such as climate change, shifts in river patterns (e.g., the drying up of the Saraswati River), overexploitation of resources, and possible invasions. The civilization did not collapse suddenly but gradually transitioned, with people moving eastward towards the Ganges-Yamuna basin. Legacy and Influence The civilization laid the foundation for later cultures in the Indian subcontinent. Techniques of urban planning, craft specialization, and social organization influenced successive civilizations in South Asia. The cultural continuity from the Indus period to later periods can be seen in traditional practices, art forms, and some aspects of the caste system. Ongoing Research and Discoveries Recent excavations have shed light on the rural aspects of the civilization and its interactions with neighboring cultures. Advances in satellite imagery and technology have helped identify more settlements, showing a more extensive and interconnected civilization than previously thought. The genetic analysis of skeletal remains has opened new avenues for understanding the population dynamics and migrations that occurred during and after the Harappan period.

8. Recent efforts to decipher the Indus script have brought both progress and persistent challenges. Despite extensive research, the script remains undeciphered, largely due to the lack of a bilingual inscription akin to the Rosetta Stone, which helped decode Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scholars have identified between 400 to 700 unique symbols in the script, typically seen in brief inscriptions, with the longest sequence comprising about 30 characters. Several hypotheses have emerged regarding the language behind the script. The Dravidian hypothesis, which posits that the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) may be linked to ancient Dravidian languages, has gained renewed interest. Notable scholars such as Iravatham Mahadevan and Asko Parpola have extensively analyzed the symbols, drawing connections to Dravidian cultural and linguistic traditions. Recent DNA studies suggest a genetic connection between the Indus Valley inhabitants and populations in present-day South India, further supporting this theory. Innovative technological approaches are also being explored. For instance, advanced computational methods and machine learning models are being used to identify recurring patterns, offering hope for future breakthroughs. Some researchers have even compared ancient Tamil Sangam texts with Indus symbols to draw cultural and linguistic parallels, emphasizing a potential connection between the two civilizations. Nevertheless, some experts argue that the script might represent a complex symbolic system rather than a conventional language, which complicates decipherment. The mystery of the Indus script continues to be an active field of research, with historians, linguists, and technologists collaborating to unlock its secrets​