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Harappan traders exported finely crafted prod- archaeologists in various sites to understand this
ucts to Mesopotamia, Iran and Central Asia and civilization. This is not an easy job, as often, even
brought back payment in precious metals and the archaeologists do not agree about the find-
more raw materials. So, by 2200 BCE, Harappa ings. With new discoveries old meanings often
covered about 370 acres and may have had a change. Also excavations are still running in
population of 80,000 people. It had become a some of the cities and new evidences are con-
city. Soon, it had plenty of neighbours. Over the stantly coming up, changing or altering the earlier
course of 700 years, some 1,500 Harappan conclusions.
settlements were scattered over the north-western Features
region of the subcontinent. Let us see how we Let us now study the special features of this
know all this. civilization. As you read the lesson, keep track of
the clues which prove that the Harappans were
Give any two differences between a city and a village. skilled engineers. Though the cities shared many
features, everything was not identical.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS
USE OF BURNT BRICKS
We have no books written by the Harappan
people. However, we have a written script on In no other civilization of the time, were burnt
bricks used so extensively. They were used in
more than 2,000 seals and also a signboard fond
buildings, roads and drains. Here, you see the
at Dholavira. The Harappan script is picto-
brickwork in a well in Lothal. Look at the way the
graphic. The seals are made of terracotta, metal
bricks fit tightly. The kilns where bricks were
and steatite and are square, flat tablets. Almost all
of them have an animal, plant, tree or a human baked have been found outside the city limits,
figure embossed on them, The seals have a during excavations. The bricks were of a standard
raised upper surface. Look at the seals carefully, size.
do you notice some kind of picture writing on the
top?
Well at Lothal
Seals TOWN PLANNING
However, the writing has not been deciphered as The most striking feature of the Harappan cities is
yet and so we do not know what is written on their planned layout. The city was generally
them. This is an interesting piece of puzzle still to divided into two sections—the upper town called
be solved. One day, when the script is deci- the citadel and the lower town.
phered, we shall know much more about this Upper Town (Citadel)
civilization. Therefore, we have to depend only
The citadel was built on a high platform. It had
on objects, artefacts and remains excavated by
high walls which provided protection during
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