Mohenjo-Daro (Sindh)

Moenjo-Daro: The Fascinating Indus Valley Civilization

The most amazing and mysterious of all the artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization is the archaeological site in the Sindh province of Pakistan-the Mohenjo-Daro. Founded on the plain of the River Indus about 2500 BCE, Mohenjo-Daro was once the summit of an advanced and technologically mature urban center-one of the greatest achievements of some of the earth’s earliest people. Despite the severe excavation and exploration of many topics concerning Mohenjo-Daro history, culture, and its fall, it remains an area that attracts historians, archaeologists, and visitors for its unseen and mysterious dimension.

### History of Indus Valley Civilization for Beginners

The Indus Valley Civilization is among the oldest urban civilizations in the world and was located in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from parts of the present-day regions of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Some of the oldest evidence of human ingenuity and sophistication includes that of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as well as that of the Indus Valley Civilization.

The civilization is really very successful at the urban planning of cities, drainage systems, metallurgy, pottery, and architecture of cities. Of the two finest cities that formed the Indus Valley Civilization, these were the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Of these, Mohenjo-Daro is considered to be one of the best preserved cities of the time and, as such, gives a great insight into the lives of people who belonged to it.

Discovery of Mohenjo-Daro

Mohenjo-Daro is Sindhi for “Mound of the Dead.” The place was first brought to attention by British archeology leader Sir John Marshall in 1922. One stands by the side of Indus River that occupies about all of the whole province Sindh, in the Pakistan continent taking some 300 hectares of territory. This entire city falls under two groups or parts – namely the “Citadel” and the “Lower City.”.

The Citadel is most likely the center for administration and religious activities too and is erected upon a raised level. The rest of the remarkable structures comprise, of course, the most important building within the complex: the Great Bath at the Citadel. The Lower City-more people actually resided here-is well planned residential town area with curved roads and effective system of drainage.

As revealed from the archaeological site, Mohenjo-Daro city planning is at its best on grid planning with remarkable construction techniques. The width of city streets is substantial and straight with a house on one side of it. Every household had its personal well and bathroom, respectively, which could be reached through a sophisticated sewerage system-something that no one in the adjacent areas could rival for centuries afterward.

The most prominent feature at Mohenjo-Daro is the Great Bath in the Citadel area. This great rectangular pool measuring about 12 meters by 7 meters was interpreted as one used for ritual bathing or public gathering. Being made of nicely baked bricks allows the bathroom to have well-designed water management systems. These include a well-connected channel leading to a well and an advanced drainage system that aids in its drawing and being replaced regularly.

For example, the presence of the Great Bath proves that town residents in Mohenjo-Daro attached immense importance to sanitation, hygiene, and religious rites. Of course, for the earlier civilization, which considered that water was holy, pure, and recreative, bathing was thus regarded healthy apart from constituting a kind of spiritual or religious act.

### Advanced Urban Development and Engineering

One of the attractive and awe-inspiring features of Mohenjo-Daro lies in its splendid manner of urban planning. Here the city is planned in a grid, with streets running North-South and East-West, which becomes the importance of organised city planning. This order gives an impression of sophisticated urbanisation, and it suggests much about lifestyle and social organisation.

Houses in Mohenjo-Daro are two stories high built out of mud bricks. There is a well for the private house, and many of the houses have bathrooms and courtyards. In that case, the existence of private facilities indicated that the dwellers of Mohenjo-Daro had an almost higher living standard in which personal comfort and privacy were accorded importance.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of Mohenjo-Daro is the structured drainage system. A particular house had drains that joined other houses to drain away wastewater from the living area. Stone slabs covered the drains, and hence, these were always kept clear; this reflected advanced sanitation and hygiene knowledge. Such an elaborate drainage system bore testimony to the excellent engineering of that city and concern for community health.

The People of Mohenjo-Daro: Who Were They?

Although the people who lived in Mohenjo-Daro have not been proven, they should be part of the general Indus Valley Civilization. People would say that those from Mohenjo-Daro were farmers, traders, and craftsmen. They grew wheat and barley while cultivating cotton while raising cattle, sheep, and goats. Such location along the Indus River means that this place was a big trading center and that, like beads, pottery, and metal, lots of other items used to move along with its boundaries.

The existence of a number of varieties of figurines, seals, and potteries testifies to the existence of very rich cultural and religious life among the people of Mohenjo-Daro. Since most of these seals bear figures of animals and human beings on them, it may well become an issue of interest for the sake of trade or even a kind of identification. There are also several seals carrying symbols that cannot be interpreted and thus pose open questions as to the language and script of the Indus Valley Civilization.

More interestingly are the archaeological remains of many graves located at Mohenjo-Daro. Most of these tombs contain personal jewellery and ceramics and probably other more personal items that have left a record of life at Mohenjo-Daro under burial ritual and material possessions that come with life and death.

### The Collapse and Desertion of Mohenjo-Daro
End

Although the city had a well-developed infrastructure, its culture presented an urban way of living. The City of Mohenjo-Daro was abandoned around 1900 BCE, which is when the Indus Valley Civilization broke down. It is not known why such desertion, and there are more than one explanation about what might have caused the collapse of the city.

One theory would be the change in course of the Indus River; that would have produced floods, or there was some diminution in agricultural productivity which really hurt the economy of this city. A second theory relates to environmental causes. Maybe it is drought or removal of forests that caused fragmentation of civilization. Other experts think that probably it was invasion or internal war leading to such an abandonment.

However the reason might be, Mohenjo-Daro is part of the civilizations that simply vanished into oblivion, leaving their ruins to tell of what once was.

**Mohenjo-Daro Today:preserving the past**

Today, Mohenjo-Daro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landmarks in Pakistan. The research conducted here still assists in the discovery of history, culture, and people of the city. Erosion, looting, and climate change, however, have come up as great threats to this site. Preservation of the site helps protect it from these dangers and opening it to visits in the future.

This ancient city gives bold moments of vision to its visitors that it was one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations of the world once. Although centuries have marred this place, the rubble of itself is an epitome of how brilliant and strong were the inhabitants of this great city long time ago.

### Conclusion
Mohenjo-Daro is an idol image of gigantic prosperity of Indus Valley Civilization. Its advanced urban planning, sophisticated systems of drainage, and rich cultural heritage make it an important archaeological site in the world. Much from the city’s past remains mystery, but their legacy lives with scholars, historians, and travel enthusiasts alike today. Mohenjo-Daro reminds us that such early human civilizations could change and create great, complex, thriving societies in a way so strong that time’s sands pass over them intact.