Ancient Pakistan

Which ancient civilization covered an area larger than Western Europe, lasted thousands of years, included 1,500 known towns and cities that shared common trade practices, and celebrated festivals that continue to this very day? If you are not sure of the answer, here is a hint: this civilization is distinguished from other ancient civilizations by the fact that from all evidence it appears that it was economic activity that held the dispersed towns and cities together, not military control. Still not sure? Some more hints: the civilization traded with Mesopotamia and central Asia as well. It evolved a system of writing that has not yet been deciphered. Private homes included water and sewage facilities that, even 2000 years later, were available only to the upper class of ancient Roman society. I am referring of course to the Indus Valley Civilization.

While perhaps the least known relative to the other three major ancient civilizations (Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese), it in fact covered an area larger than any of these civilizations and spanned three thousand years. While largely centered in the Indus Valley, with Harappa being the main city of between 50,000 to 80,000 people, towns that formed part of this civilizations are to be found almost as far east as Delhi in India, and as far west as the western borders of Afghanistan. The Pakistani American Harappa Archaeological Research Project started in 1986 with work still continuing has resulted in major new excavations, and this together with sophisticated molecular level analysis as well as careful detective work, makes it clear that this was an even more significant and unique civilization than was already recognized. New sites have been identified, and older ones dug deeper to find remains of earlier times. Kilns have been found, and their manufacturing techniques replicated. Even the writing is being understood better through careful analysis of the context in which they appear, even though a “Rosetta Stone” (of the kind that enabled ancient Egyptian writing to be deciphered) has not been yet been found. The long-held theory that the civilization met a sudden end from invaders is now being rejected as a result of evidence collected. What is now being understood is that the shifting of a major river (led to the abandonment of many towns, with consequent overcrowding in the remaining towns and a steady break down in law and order. An entire early phase of this civilization, the Ravi Phase (3300 BC to 2800 BC has been identified as a result of this recent activity).

A striking aspect of this civilization, and one that sets it apart from the others even more so than its impressive geographical span, was that it seems to have been held together through economics and trade. Not through military force or religious ideology. Thus, the relics that are left behind do not contain grand pyramids or ziggurats or temples. Rather, tools of the trade dominate. Thus, a common set of weights is to be found throughout the vast area covered by this civilization. Seals with animal representation (the unicorn, the bull and the bison being the most common) were in all likelihood used to indicate property ownership. These and other indications point to a strong, well organized, merchant class. Artifacts and writings found in the middle east and central Asia indicate that the Indus Valley people traded with them as well.

And yes. In Pakistan even today the sung festival is held that has been traced back to this ancient civilization. In this joyful festival involving acrobatics and singing and dancing from village to village, people provide money and goods to pilgrims who then carry these along with their prayers to the tombs of saints.

There is not doubt that in future we will learn much more about this great civilization which represents a major early step by mankind, and set standards in terms of public works, social structure and personal hygiene that are impressive even by today’s standards, thousands of years later.