UNIT 1
WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS THRO
RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION
INDUS VALLEY
CIVILIZATION
3000 – 1500 BCE
29TH Sept. 2018
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
This earliest known civilization in India,
the starting point in its history, dates
back to about 3000 BC.
Discovered in the 1920s, it was thought
to have been confined to the valley of
the river Indus, hence the name given to
it was Indus Valley civilization.
Features:
This civilization was a highly developed
urban one and two of its towns, Mohenjo-
Daro and Harappa, represent the high
watermark of the settlements.
Spread to a wide area in northwestern and
western India.
Thus this civilization is now better known
as the Harappa civilization.
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa are now in
Pakistan and the principal sites in India
include Ropar in Punjab, Lothal in
Gujarat and Kalibangan in Rajasthan.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
Phases of Harappan civilization
Early Harappan civilization.( 3300BC to 2800 BC)
Mature Harappan civilization.
Late Harappan civilization.
Early Harappan civilization
• Period - 3300BC to 2800 BC
• Related to Hakra phase
• Characterized by centralized authority and increased quality of life
• Trade network was established and domestication of crops kalibhanjan in
India kot daji ,peas, sesame seeds , dates were grown.
Mature Harappan civilization
• By 2600 , IVC entered in this phase
• Early communities were turning into large centers
• Harappa and Mohanjo- Daro in Pakistan
• Lothal in India.
• Introduced concept of irrigation
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD 2600 -1900 BC
Mohenjo Daro, or "Mound of the
Dead" is an ancient Indus Valley
Civilization city that flourished between
2600 and 1900 BCE.
Probably abandoned around 1700 BC
due to the alteration of the rivers
course
It was one of the first world and
ancient Indian cities.
The site close to 4 Sq. Kms. was
discovered in the 1920s and lies in
Pakistan's Sindh province.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD 2600 -1900 BC
FEATURES:
The most dominant feature in this city would be the Urban Planning
Mohenjo-daro was successively destroyed and rebuilt at least seven times.
Each time, the new cities were built directly on top of the old ones. Flooding
by the Indus is thought to have been the cause of destruction.
The city was divided into two parts,
Citadel
Lower City.
Most of the Lower City is yet
uncovered, but,
Citadel is known to have the public
bath, a large
Residential structure designed to
house 5,000 citizens, and two large
assembly halls.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD 2600 -1900 BC
Citadel:
The citadel houses the most important
administrative components of the City
• Granary
• Great Bath
• Stupa
• Assembly hall
• Fortifications
The Citadel is the smaller component
of the City
The Streets are not aligned to the
cardinal points as in the lower town
Consists of ramparts and fortified
structures
The stupa was a later addition in 500
AD
The city was divided into two parts,
the Citadel included an elaborate tank or
bath created with fine quality brickwork
and drains; this was surrounded by a
verandah. Also located here was a giant
granary, a large residential structure,
and at least two aisled assembly halls.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD 2600 -1900 BC
Great Bath:
• The bath measures 12m x 7m x 2.4m
• 2 wide staircases lead down from the N
and S and there are 2 small sockets at the
edge of the stairs which might have held
wooden treads or planks
• A small brick edging extends for the entire
width of the bath
• The floor is made water tight by the use
of bricks on edge with gypsum plaster
• Water proofing has been provided by the
use of a thick layer of bitumen or tar along
the edges and the floor too
• A series of rooms are located on the
eastern edge of the building
• In one room is a well that may have
supplied water to the tank
• There are no inlet points
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD 2600 -1900 BC
Lower Town:
The Lower Town is organised on a
grid system with 4 avenues running
from north to south and four
running from east to west.
The avenues are several metres wide
and have drains running down the
middle or side of the road.
The avenues divide the Lower Town
into many blocks.
Alleyways and lanes further divided
these blocks.
it was probably where most of the
people in the city lived and worked
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD HOUSING SYSTEM
GENERAL HOUSING SYSTEM
The houses can be divided into three main groups viz.
1.Dwelling houses,
2.Larger buildings,
3.Public baths.
HOUSING SYSTEM:
Town dwellers were divided into various
social classes.
The Rich and the Ruling class lived in the
multi-roomed spacious houses.
Poorer section lived in small tenements.
The public building and big houses were
situated on the streets.
Encroachment on public roads or lanes by
building houses was not permitted.
The modest houses were situated on the
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
lanes.
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD HOUSING SYSTEM
They were plain, utilitarian and comfortable to live.
Some of the buildings were probably multi-storied.
Most of the houses had baths, wells and covered drains connected with
street drains.
Ordinary buildings had little ventilation arrangements, as doors and
windows were rarely fixed in the outer walls.
Doors of entrance were fixed not on the front wall but on the side walls.
One could enter a house by the door facing the side lanes of the house.
The doors were made of wood.
Large buildings had spacious doors.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD BUILDING MATERIALS
No stone built house in the Indus
cities.
Most of the houses were built of
burnt ricks.
Unburnt sun-dried bricks were also
used.
That portion of the buildings where
contamination with water was
possible, burnt bricks were used.
For other parts sun-dried bricks were
used.
Most of the bricks were of equal
size.
The staircases of big buildings were
solid; the roofs were flat and were
made of wood
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD 2600 -1900 BC
STREETS :
The streets were broad varying from 9
feet to 34 feet.
They ran straight to a mile.
They were suitable for wheeled traffic.
Lanes were joined with the streets.
Each lane had a public welt.
Street lamps were provided for DRAINAGE SYSTEM:
welfare of public. The elaborate drainage system was a remarkable
feature of the civilization.
No ancient civilization before, had such an
advanced drainage and sanitation system.
Each house had horizontal and vertical drains.
House drains emptied themselves into the main
drains which ran under the main streets and
below many lanes.
There were underground drains for the streets.
These drains were covered by stone slabs.
The soak pits were made of bricks.
The house drains were connected with road
drains. HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
MOHENJODARO - PLACE /MOUND OF THE DEAD DRAINAGE
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
HARAPPA 2600 -1500 BC
Harappa grew on the floodplains of a rich
and life-giving river, the Indus. The original
cities and many of the towns seemed to have
been built right upon the shores of the river.
The Harappans were an agricultural people
whose economy was almost entirely
dominated by horticulture.
40,000 people
Massive granaries were built at each city,
and there most certainly was an elaborate
bureaucracy to distribute this wealth of
food.
Bricks that they built their cities with
were fired bricks
In addition, many of the Harappan seals
have pictures of animals that imply a wet
and marshy environment, such as
rhinoceroses, elephants, and tigers.
The Harappans also had a wide variety of
domesticated animals: camels, cats, dogs,
goats, sheep, and buffalo.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
HARAPPA 2600 -1500 BC
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
BY:-
Ar. PRIYA M. NAIR
Assistant Professor
MEASI
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & CULTURE- I
