Mysteries of Mohenjodaro | The OpenBook

The Lost City- Mohenjodaro
The minute we talk of the Indus valley Civilization one city comes to mind. It is none other than Mohenjodaro. It was one of the first excavated sites of the civilization and holds most of the secrets of this civilization. It is also the first heritage site announced by the UNESCO in South East Asia.
The site is said to have been built around the 26th century B.C. and went into ruins with the fall of the Civilization.
One unique feature of this civilization has been that like the civilization to which it belonged it was a well planned city made of burnt bricks. Around 1920-21 R. D. Banerjee insisted on excavation to unearth more details about this city. His excavations did prove that the city belonged to the Indus Valley civilization but it had to be given up soon as weathering was bringing the city to ruins. As a result the city was no longer available for excavation and only non invasive methods were permitted.
The city is divided into two parts namely the Citadel and the lower city. The citadel housed the public baths, assembly halls and around 5000 people. It had a marketplace in the central region. Water was obtained from wells and they had a covered drainage system to dispose of waste.
There is no evidence of palaces, temples or monuments in the city. It is in fact devoid of even a central authority and hence it is felt it was run as a city state with representatives from different regions.
Though the city was a wealthy one we don’t see any traces of flaunting of wealth. On the other hand we see a sense of orderliness and cleanliness as top priority with them.
How this city went into ruins is still a question that’s left unanswered. The mound of dead as is the name given to it is a mystery to archeologists and historians alike. #theopenbook #Education #Educationalvideos #Studyiq #learn #Cbse #icse #ssc #generalknowledge