Harappa: Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis in Punjab, Pakistan

Harappa — one of the two great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) (c. 2600–1900 BCE) — lies in Punjab province, Pakistan, ~24 km southwest of Sahiwal, near the Ravi River (now shifted).

Site Overview

• Area: 150+ hectares (370 acres) — one of IVC's largest
• Occupation: Early Harappan (3300–2600 BCE) → Mature (2600–1900 BCE) → Late (1900–1300 BCE)
• Discovery: 1826 (Charles Masson); excavated 1920s (Daya Ram Sahni), 1946 (Mortimer Wheeler), 1986– (Harappa Archaeological Research Project)

Urban Planning Hallmarks

• Grid layout: N-S/E-W streets, standardized bricks (4:2:1 ratio)
• Drainage: Covered sewers, household connections, soak pits — world's first urban sanitation
• Citadel mound: Western mound (public/ritual); Eastern mound (residential/industrial)
• Granaries: Large platforms with air ducts — centralized storage
• Craft quarters: Bead-making (carnelian, steatite), shell-working, metallurgy (copper/bronze)

Trade & Economy

• Internal: Standardized weights (binary/decimal), seals (unicorn motif), script (undeciphered)
• External: Mesopotamia (Ur, Lagash — texts mention "Meluhha"), Oman (copper), Central Asia (lapis lazuli), Persian Gulf
• Maritime: Lothal (Gujarat) dockyard → Arabian Sea routes

Decline & Legacy

• 1900 BCE: Gradual de-urbanization — climate shift (monsoon weakening), river course changes (Ghaggar-Hakra/Sarasvati drying), trade collapse.
• No invasion evidence (Wheeler's "Aryan invasion" theory discarded).
• Continuity: IVC traditions → Vedic culture; crafts, weights, motifs persist.

Visiting Today

• Harappa Museum: On-site; seals, pottery, figurines, skeletons.
• Site: Mounds, granary foundations, cemetery (R-37), well.
• Access: 3 hr from Lahore; 5 hr from Islamabad. Combine with Mohenjo-daro (Sindh) for IVC circuit.