Civilization in Asia and the Pacific #1

• _____ is a region characterized by a highly varied topography and great geographical barriers.
• The Indian subcontinent is bounded in the north by the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, and the remainder of its borders is composed of great bodies of water, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.
• The monsoon climate prevalent in the region often brings torrential rain, though instances of drought and famine also occur.

• South Asia

• Indus River

• Harappa

• Mohenjodaro

• Citadel

• The _____ Valley in the western portion of the subcontinent was home to the earliest settlements, with the alluvial deposits of the _____ providing the riverbanks with soft, fertile soil.

• Agricultural communities called the _____ Valley their home since 6000 BCE, harvesting wheat and barley, and raising cattle, goats, and sheep.

• Like the Egyptians, the first settlers in the Indus Valley took advantage of the flooding of the river. However, the _____ was unpredictable, and floods were often violent.

• This posed a great challenge to the settlements and communities along the riverbank. But over several centuries, a network of irrigation canals and floodworks appeared along the river, enabling the communities to use the waters of the river for sustenance and agricultural production.

• These structures, however, required constant maintenance and the challenge of rebuilding after powerful floods from the _____ took a toll on the resources of the early communities.

• South Asia

• Indus River

• Harappa

• Mohenjodaro

• Citadel

• The earliest cities established in the Indus Valley region between 4000 to 3000 BCE were considered to belong to the _____n Civilization. Foremost among the ancient cities of this civilization were _____ and Mohenjodaro, located in modern day Pakistan.
• These two cities exemplified of ancient South Asian civilization, with both having populations of up to 30,000 inhabitants. At around 2500 BCE, _____n cities were actively trading with one another, exchanging crops, such as wheat, barley, cotton, mustard, dates, peas, rice, and sorghum.

• South Asia

• Indus River

• Harappa

• Mohenjodaro

• Citadel

• _____ was the largest of the Harappan cities, with an area of two square kilometers. The ancient city was rebuilt at least nine times due to the flooding of the Indus River, but many of the structures that remain reveal a highly organized society.
• The streets and houses within _____ were arranged in a grid-like pattern similar to modern cities. Single-storey dwellings were believed to have been occupied by laborers and the poorer classes, while larger residences with courtyards were believed to have been occupied by the richer classes.
• The presence of bathrooms and toilets in the larger houses indicates a public sewage system. Additionally, the city had structures, believed to have been public buildings, including a hall of about 30 square meters.

• South Asia

• Indus River

• Harappa

• Mohenjodaro

• Citadel

• The most prominent structure within the city was its _____, which stood at 12 meters, and was protected by huge embankments and defensive walls with towers.

• South Asia

• Indus River

• Harappa

• Mohenjodaro

• Citadel

• _____ was considered an important factor in the developments in Harappan culture. Important economic activities apart from agriculture included metalworking, beadmaking, weaving, and pottery.

• Trade

• Harappa

• stamp seals

• forests

• The _____ns were expert metalworkers who made small figurines of copper and bronze. A number of artifacts unearthed from _____n sites consisted of small animal figures and carts molded from clay, believed to be either offerings or toys.

• Trade

• Harappa

• stamp seals

• forests

• Most significant among the artifacts are _____ believed to have been used for trade. These stamps feature a script composed of pictographic symbols yet to be deciphered.
This ancient script is believed to be among the earliest writing systems to have been independently developed by a civilization. The Harappans left behind few a portraits, and their palace walls had no carvings or paintings that detail events from their history.

• Trade

• Harappa

• stamp seals

• forests

• The Indus River is believed to have played a role in the decline of _____n civilizations. At around 2000 BCE, the cities of _____ and Mohenjodaro were abandoned by their inhabitants.
• Changes in the environment along the Indus River are seen as one of the main reason why the _____n society fell apart quickly.
• It is conceivable that intense flooding or a period of drought and famine disrupted _____n city production.

• Trade

• Harappa

• stamp seals

• forests

Another theory considers the effect of the increasing population on the resources of the region. The denudation of the surrounding _____ is believed to have resulted in intense flooding, which prompted the Harappans to abandon their cities.
• The final theory of the end of the Harappan civilization is the arrival of Indo-Aryan invaders in South Asia, around 2000 BCE.

• Trade

• Harappa

• stamp seals

• forests