Thursday, May 09, 2013

Ancient Indian Cities


Harappa
  • The Great Granary measuring 1 69 ft x 3 5 feet is the largest and the most remarkable structure found at Harappa. 
  • So far 891 seals have been recovered from Harappa, and that is 40% of the total number of seals belonging to Indus Valley Civilization that have been found. 
  • A red sandstone naked male torso has been found, which shows traces of Jainism Between the granary and the citadel, have also been found a series of circular platforms, probably for the pounding of grain 
  • At a lower level below the granary, platforms and the citadel were crowded one-room dwellings, which suggest slave habitats. 
Mohenjodaro 
  • In Sindhi language, the word Mohenjodaro means mound of the dead’.
  • It is the largest of all Indus cities 
  • The Great Bath is the most important public place, measuring 39 feet (length) X 23 feet (breadth) X 8 feet (depth). Located at the center of the citadel, it is remarkable for beautiful brickwork Its floor is made of burnt bricks set in gypsum and mortar. It must have served as a ritual-bathing site
  • Remains have been found of an oblong multi-pillared assembly hall and a big rectangular building, which must have served administrative purposes.
  • Most of Mohenjodaro houses are built of kiln-fired brick
  • The major streets are 33 feet wide and run north-south, intersecting subordinate ones, running east-west at right angles. 
  • The evidence of Indian ships (figured on a seal) and a piece of woven cloth has been discovered from here
  • There is a large granary consisting of podium of square blocks of burnt-bricks with a wooden superstructure
  • Parallel rows of two-roomed cottages found The workmen or poor sections Of the society perhaps used these cottages.
  • Abronzedancinggirl,steatitestatueof a priest and a seal bearing Pashupati have been found here
  • It is important to remember that Mohenjodaro shows nine levels of occupation towering over 300 feet above the present flood plain
  • Excavation reveals that the city was flooded More than seven times
Kalibangan 
  • Has pre-Harappan as well as Harappan cultural phases.
  • Less developed compared to Mohenjodaro 
  • There is evidence of mud-brick fortification
  • Pre-Harappan phase here shows that the fields were ploughed unlike the Harappan period.
  • Archaeologists have discovered two platforms (within the citadel) with fire altars suggesting the practice of cult sacrifice
  • The existence of wheel conveyance is proved by a cartwheel having a single hub
Chanhudaro 
  • Only Indus city without a citadel.
  • Existence of Pre-Harappan as well as Harappan cultural phase
  • A small pot was discovered here, which was probably an ink pot.
  • Excavations reveal that people of Chanhudaro were expert craftsmen. Archaeologists have discovered here metalworkers’, shell-ornament makers’ and bead-makers’ shops
  • The city was twice destroyed by inundations.Here more extensive but indirect evidenceof super-imposition of a barbarian lifestyle is seen Banwali 
  • Like Kalibangan, Amri, Kot Diji and Harappa, Banwali also saw two cultural phases - pre-Harappan and Harappan.
  • Human and animal figures, clay bangles and statue of mother Goddess found here.
  • Here we find large quantity of barely, sesamum and mustard. 
Surkotada 
  • Excavations reveal a citadel and a lower town, both of which were fortified.
  • It is the only Indus site where the remains of a horse have actually been round.
Kot Diji 
  • Pre-Harappan and Harappan phases found. 
  • According to excavations, the city was probably destroyed due to fire
  • Wheel made painted pottery, traces of a defensive wall and well-aligned streets, knowledge of metallurgy, artistic toys etc.
  • Five figurines of Mother Goddess discovered
Ropar 
  • The excavations have yielded five-fold sequence of cultures — Harappan, PGW, NBP, Kushana-Gupta and Medieval.
  • The evidence of burying a dog below the human burial is very interesting
  • One example of rectangular mudbrick ‘chamber was noticed.
Dholavira 
  • It is the latest and one of the two largest Harappan settlements in India, the other being Rakhigarhi in Haryana
  • The other Harappan towns were divided into two parts — Citadel and the Lower Town, but Dholavira was divided into three principal divisions, two of which were strongly protected by rectangular fortifications.
  • There are two inner enclosures — the first one hemmed in the citadel (which probably housed the highest authority)and the second one protected the middle town (meant for the close relatives of the rulers and other 
  • officials). The existence of this middle town, apart from the lower town, is the real exclusive feature of this city.
Lothal 
  • Only Indus site with an artificial brick dockyard. It must have served as the main seaport of the Indus people It was surrounded by a massive brick wall, probably as flood protection.
  • Lothal has evidence for the earliest cultivation of rice (1800 BC) The only other Indus site where rice husk has been found is Rangpur near Ahmedabad.
  • Fire altars, indicating the probable existence of a fire cult, have been found
  • A doubtful terracotta figurine of horse is found here

No comments:

Post a Comment

Random Articles:

  • INTERPOL
    22.07.2012 - 0 Comments
    What is Interpol ? The word 'INTERPOL' is radio-telegraph code for the International Criminal Police Organization which consists of 188 member countries who have agreed to "ensure and promote the widest possible assistance between all criminal police authorities in the prevention…
  • All the best for Prelims 2013
    18.05.2013 - 0 Comments
    Sorry friends.... i m busy in preparation of exams so unable to post frequently................... i will be back after premils on May, 26th.  All the best to all of you. Give all you have to the UPSC..........and wish me luck :)
  • UPSC Civil Servises 2012 Results
    07.05.2013 - 0 Comments
    RankRoll No.Name 175502Haritha V Kumar 2494891Sriram V 338970Stuti Charan 472170Alby John Varghese 521963Ruchika Katyal 6522630Arun Thamburaj A 7490683T Prabhushankar 829178Vandana 9318892Chandni Singh 1022927Ashish Gupta 1111131Mayur Dixit 12149403Raghvendra Singh 1333417Rahul 141123Debasweta…
  • Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram
    09.04.2013 - 0 Comments
    Health is a State Subject and State Governments are providing health care including drugs to the patients. In order to strengthen the hands of the State Governments, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is providing additional support under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for…
  • Why Russia Support Syria/Assad
    15.07.2012 - 0 Comments
    To those of you who wonder “Why does Russia support Syria, despite the world opinion against Assad?” The reasons are following: Syria buys arms and ammunition worth 700$ million per year from Russia. In Syria’s Port city of Tartus, Russia has its only military base in Mediterranean Sea. There are…
  • Delegated legislation
    31.03.2013 - 0 Comments
    What is Delegated Legislation? MP/MLAs make the law only in a broad skeletal form. Then executive (union/state Government  and its bureaucrats) fill up the minor technical details. When legislators outsources the law making work (partially) to the executives (Bureaucrats), this is known…
  • Radhakrishnan Committee
    22.07.2012 - 0 Comments
    Agriculture Indebtedness, Farmer Suicides Roots of the Problem slowdown in the growth of the agricultural in the past two decades An excessive proportion of the population is dependent on agriculture, resulting in increasing pressure on land, decline in the availability of land per…
  • Doing Business Report 2013
    01.05.2013 - 0 Comments
    The Doing Business Project provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 185 economies and selected cities at the sub-national and regional level.The Doing Business Project, launched in 2002, looks at domestic small and medium-size companies and measures the…