In the earliest Cities

The Great Bath was lined with bricks, coated with plaster and made water tight with a layer of natural tar. There were steps leading down from two sides into the tank.

Harappan seals had pictures of animals that relate to a wet and marshy environment. Rhinoceroses, elephants, and tigers were placed in the midst of marshy plants.

Metals, writing, wheel and plough were important for the Harappans because metals were used to make tools and ornaments; writing helped them to know scriptures; wheel helped them to move from one place to another as carts came into being and finally plough was important to plough land and grow crops for their food.

Cotton was probably grown at Mehragarh about 7000 years ago. Mehragarh was also the first site in India where agricultural activities took place.

The archaeologists have found actual pieces of cloth attached to the lid of a silver vase and some copper objects at Mohenjodaro. As we know that cloth is made up of cotton, probably, the farmers grew cotton at that time. The archaeologists have also found spindle whorls, made of terracotta and faience which were used to spin thread. This proves that the cloth was used in Harappan civilization.

The Harappan city was a very busy place. There were people who planned the construction of special buildings in the city. They may have kept the most valuable objects, such as ornaments of gold and silver, or beautiful beads, for themselves. And there were scribes, people who knew how to write, who helped prepare the seals, and perhaps wrote on other materials that have not survived till date. Men and women, craftsmen, made all kinds of things – either in their own homes, or in special workshops. People were travelling to distant lands at that time by carts to inland places or by ship to foreign lands.

Seals may have been used to stamp bags or packets containing goods that were sent from one place to another. After a bag was closed or tied, a layer of wet clay was applied on the knot, and the seal was pressed on it. The impression of the seal is known as sealing. Harappan people used the seals for signs of proprietorship, against ill or bad omens etc also.

The main Harappan towns in Gujrat were Dholavira, located on Khadir Beyt in the Rann of Kutch and Lothal that stood beside a tributary of the Sabarmati, close to the gulf of Khambat.

The main food of the Harrappans were wheat, barley, pulses, peas, rice, sesame, linseed and mustard together with meat, milk and milk products.

There were mainly four types of metals that were used to make tools in earlier cities. They were - Copper, bronze, gold, and silver. Copper and bronze were used to make tools, weapons, ornaments and vessels. Gold and silver were used to make ornaments and vessels.

In Harrappan city, which is the first urban site in India, houses were either one or two storeys high, with rooms built around a courtyard.

The names are: Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Kalibangan, Rakhi Garhi, Chanhudaro, Dholavira, Surkotada, Lothal and Sotkakoh.

Important people (priests, rulers) took ritual baths in this tank. The tank was lined with kiln burnt bricks, plaster of gypsum and bitumen was used to make the tank water resistant.

Following factors show that Lothal was an important production centre of the Harappan civilisation:

1. It was situated near areas where raw materials such as semi-precious stones were easily available.
2. This was an important centre for making objects out of stone, shell and metal.
3. Pieces of stone, half made beads, tools for bead making and finished beads have all been found in a building. This building was probably a workshop for making beads.

The historians are uncertain regarding the causes for the decline of the Harappan civilisation. Various factors were responsible for the end of the physical existence of the Harappan cities.

1. The decline in the quality of buildings and town planning indicates as if the rulers were losing control which forced the people to move to newer settlements.
2. The rivers changed their course, which led to either heavy floods or drought like situations.
3. Ecological changes led to the decline of land and agriculture. With time, the requirement for fuel increased, which led to excessive deforestation. Moreover, grazing by large herds of animals destroyed the green cover. All this must have enforced them to evacuate to other areas.

In the Harappan cities, there were men and women who made all kinds of things either in their own homes or in special workshop known as crafts persons.

1. Copper and bronze were used to make tools, weapons, ornaments and vessels. Gold and silver were used to make ornaments and vessels.
2. The Harappans made seals out of stone. These seals were generally rectangular in shape and had an animal carved on them.
3. The Harappans made beads, weights and blades. Most of the beads were made out of carnelian, a beautiful red stone. They also made pots with beautiful black designs.

Harappan cities were divided into two or more parts. The western part was higher and was also called the citadel. The eastern part or the lower town was made up of baked bricks. These bricks were laid in interlocking pattern that made the wall strong. Some of the cities also had a huge water tank or ‘The Great Bath’. Fire altars for worshipping were also found in these tanks. Most of the houses were either one or two stories high. They were built around a courtyard. The cities also had covered drainage systems. The drainage system also had manhole at regular intervals for cleaning up

The Great Bath is a tank excavated in Mohenjodaro. It has steps leading from two sides. The bath was lined with bricks and coated with bitumen to make it water proof.

The roads were wide and cut each other at right angles. Houses were built on both sides and covered drains ran along the streets.

It has been found that baked bricks were used in all buildings. These bricks were laid in an interlocking pattern to make strong walls.