Location – Pakistan. On the Indus River.

Similar in style and date to Harappa in north Pakistan, it was built almost entirely of kiln-fired bricks between 2500 and 2100 BC (12). Originally square in outline, the City was laid out along the lines of a grid. Twelve main streets divided it, of which eleven blocks were residential with the twelfth section being dominated by the Citadel.

More than a thousand settlements are now known from the Indus valley civilisation. The civilisation is known to have had a unity of culture, art, script, and technology (even weights and measures). The largest city, Mohenjo Daro is thought to have reached a population of approximately 80,000, suggesting a total population of approximately 5 million people. (1)  

The city had a sophisticated sewage system with regular manhole covers. Public latrines for every block and sewers large enough to walk in. (1) House drains, which were enclosed systems, were made of clay pipes and were connected to the sewers by open brick gutters.The last levels of occupation show skeletons with sword-cuts (12), and appear to record a tragic end.

The Citadel – An artificial rectangular mound about 6m high, whose chief buildings were the’ Great Bath’, the ‘Granary’ and the ‘Assembly hall’.

The great Baths – These were made watertight with gypsum.

Other Interesting Facts –

Stone ‘seals’ with intricate carving were found (see right), that correspond to similar Iraqi seals from the mid-third millenium BC. (1). Some of the seals found were almost exact the same as those found in ancient Sumerian sites. (Thor Heyerdal)

The ancient script of the Indus valley people has been found in another location, Easter Island; which is exactly diametrically opposed to Mohenjo daro.

Clay models of the mother goddess were found like those still made throughout India today. (1)