TestSMART-Reading, Gr. 7
12: The Indus Civilization
The Indus River begins in present-day
Tibet. It flows down through Pakistan and
empties into the Arabian Sea. Ancient people
settled along the river and used its water to
irrigate their land and enrich the soil. As a
result, they succeeded in building a great
farming society. Their many crops were their
source of wealth.
Almost 5,000 years ago, the Indus
Civilization began and flourished along the
Indus River. It spread far beyond the Indus
River Valley. It stretched south into presentday India and west nearly to present-day Iran.
It included several cities. The two largest cities
were Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Each city
may have had a population of about 20,000.
Discovering the Indus Civilization
The Indus Civilization existed for more
than 1,000 years. Yet, for hundreds of years, its
remains were buried under layers of dirt. Only
an accident brought it to the modem world's
attention. In the mid-1800s, the British built a
railroad through the area that was once the
home of the Indus society. Workers unearthed
unusual stone seals with unfamiliar writing and
pictures of animals. No one paid much
attention to the stones at the time. Work on the
railroad continued.
In the 1920s, archaeologists explored the
same area. These scientists study materials left
frpm the past. During their excavation, they
found many important items left behind by the
people of the Indus culture. The scientists
found many more stone seals. Unfortunately,
they could not decipher the seals' strange
writing. The messages might have told them
more about the Indus Civilization.
eECS Learning Systems, Inc.
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were organized
and developed cities. A fort surrounded each
city and protected citiz~ns from their enemies.
Each city stood atop a high platform made of
bricks. The platforms protected the cities from
flooding. The cities had streets arranged in
blocks, like streets in modem cities. Some of
the main streets were more than 30 feet wide.
Houses were made from baked bricks and
opened out to a courtyard. Most houses
included living areas, as well as a bathroom
and a room for the family's well. Houses that
had two stories often had balconies. In many
houses, drainage systems connected the indoor
bathrooms to sewers running under the streets.
Both cities had large granaries. These
buildings held the city's grain supply. At
Mohenjo-Daro, there was also a large brick
building called the Great Bath. The city's
citizens may have used its pool for baths that
were part of religious ceremonies.
Farming and Trade
Many people of the Indus Civilization were
successful farmers. They grew many crops,
such as barley and wheat. They were probably
the first people in the world to grow cotton,
their most important crop. 'ney successfully
raised sheep, cattle, donkeys, and other
livestock.
The Indus Civilization almost certainly had
contact with people from distant lands. Among
the cities' ruins, scientists found precious
stones~minerals, and beads from faraway
lands. Items from the Indus Civilization, like
pottery samples, have been found in other parts
of the world, too. The people of the Indus
Civilization must have crossed mountains and
seas to trade with others.
All rights reserved
TestSMART-Reading, Gr. 7
12: The Indus Civilization
The Indus River begins in present-day
Tibet. It flows down through Pakistan and
empties into the Arabian Sea. Ancient people
settled along the river and used its water to
irrigate their land and enrich the soil. As a
result, they succeeded in building a great
farming society. Their many crops were their
source of wealth.
Almost 5,000 years ago, the Indus
Civilization began and flourished along the
Indus River. It spread far beyond the Indus
River Valley. It stretched south into presentday India and west nearly to present-day Iran.
It included several cities. The two largest cities
were Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Each city
may have had a population of about 20,000.
Discovering the Indus Civilization
The Indus Civilization existed for more
than 1,000 years. Yet, for hundreds of years, its
remains were buried under layers of dirt. Only
an accident brought it to the modem world's
attention. In the mid-1800s, the British built a
railroad through the area that was once the
home of the Indus society. Workers unearthed
unusual stone seals with unfamiliar writing and
pictures of animals. No one paid much
attention to the stones at the time. Work on the
railroad continued.
In the 1920s, archaeologists explored the
same area. These scientists study materials left
frpm the past. During their excavation, they
found many important items left behind by the
people of the Indus culture. The scientists
found many more stone seals. Unfortunately,
they could not decipher the seals' strange
writing. The messages might have told them
more about the Indus Civilization.
eECS Learning Systems, Inc.
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were organized
and developed cities. A fort surrounded each
city and protected citiz~ns from their enemies.
Each city stood atop a high platform made of
bricks. The platforms protected the cities from
flooding. The cities had streets arranged in
blocks, like streets in modem cities. Some of
the main streets were more than 30 feet wide.
Houses were made from baked bricks and
opened out to a courtyard. Most houses
included living areas, as well as a bathroom
and a room for the family's well. Houses that
had two stories often had balconies. In many
houses, drainage systems connected the indoor
bathrooms to sewers running under the streets.
Both cities had large granaries. These
buildings held the city's grain supply. At
Mohenjo-Daro, there was also a large brick
building called the Great Bath. The city's
citizens may have used its pool for baths that
were part of religious ceremonies.
Farming and Trade
Many people of the Indus Civilization were
successful farmers. They grew many crops,
such as barley and wheat. They were probably
the first people in the world to grow cotton,
their most important crop. 'ney successfully
raised sheep, cattle, donkeys, and other
livestock.
The Indus Civilization almost certainly had
contact with people from distant lands. Among
the cities' ruins, scientists found precious
stones~minerals, and beads from faraway
lands. Items from the Indus Civilization, like
pottery samples, have been found in other parts
of the world, too. The people of the Indus
Civilization must have crossed mountains and
seas to trade with others.
All rights reserved