Pre-history And Proto History: Foundation Of Societies In Ancient India - Indus Valley Civilization: The Emergence Of First Cities

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The term 'Palaeolithic' comes from two Greek words: 'paleo' meaning old, and 'lithic' meaning stone. So, Palaeolithic means the Old Stone Age. This was the earliest period when humans used simple ston…

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During the Neolithic Age, humans changed from being food gatherers to food producers. They started farming, domesticating animals, and making pottery. This shift allowed them to settle in one place an…

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The Chalcolithic Age is the period when people began using copper tools along with stone tools. The word comes from 'chalco' (copper) and 'lithic' (stone). This marked the transition from the Stone Ag…

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It is called the Harappan Civilization because Harappa was the first site of this civilization to be excavated in the 1920s. The discoveries at Harappa helped identify the entire culture, so it became…

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The mature phase of the Indus Valley Civilization lasted from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. It was part of the larger Bronze Age, which spanned from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE.

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The four major cities were Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Dholavira, and Rakhigarhi. Mohenjodaro and Harappa were the first to be discovered, while Rakhigarhi is now known as the largest site covering 350 hect…

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Harappan cities followed a grid system of town planning. Streets and lanes crossed each other at right angles, dividing the city into rectangular blocks. This shows advanced knowledge of urban plannin…

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The citadel was a raised area built on a mud-brick platform. It housed important public buildings like the Great Bath and granaries. It likely served administrative, religious, or defensive purposes.