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List of Harappan Civilization Sites: List of Indus Valley Civilization Sites will provide valuable information about date of discovery, location of Harappan sites, and key findings at these sites. Indus Valley Civilization Sites are important for UPSC Prelims Exam (Ancient Indian History) and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 1- Indian History- Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.)
Indus Valley Civilization
The beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) also marks the beginning of Indian history. The Indus Valley Civilisation (Harappan Civilization) is believed to have existed through its early years of 3300-1300 BCE. The Mature period of Indus Civilization is from 2600 to 1900 BCE.
The 1900 BCE – 1500 BCE period saw the decline of the Indus Valley Civilisation which coincided with a wave of migration of the Aryan people from the north, most likely the Iranian Plateau.
List of Major Sites of Indus Valley Civilization/Harappan Civilization
Harappa was the first Indus Valley Civilization Site that was discovered in 1920s by Marshall, Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni and Madho Sarup Vats. It was followed by the excavation of the Mohenjo-daro, near the Indus River in the Sindh (Sind) region.
List of Major Harappan Sites, their discovery, and Key artefacts found at these sites are mentioned below-
Year | Site | Discovered by | Location | Features |
1921 | Harappa | Marshall, Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni and Madho Sarup Vats. | Located in the Montgomery district of Punjab, on the banks of the Ravi River. |
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1922 | Mohenjodaro | R.D. Banerjee, E. J. H. MacKay and Marshall. | Located in the Punjab district of Larkana on the banks of the Indus River |
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1929 | Sutkagendor | Stein | Dast river in Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province |
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1931 | Chanhudaro | N.G Majumdar | Sindh is located on the Indus River. |
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1935 | Amri | N.G Majumdar | On the banks of the Indus. |
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1953 | Kalibangan | Ghose | Rajasthan, beside the Ghaggar River. |
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1953 | Lothal | R.Rao | Gujarat on Bhogva river near Gulf of Cambay. |
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1964 | Surkotada
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J.P Joshi | Gujarat. |
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1974 | Banawali | R.S Bisht | Haryana’s Hisar district. |
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1985 | Dholavira. | R.S Bisht in | Gujara, Rann of Kachchh. |
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The Indus civilization, also known as the Indus valley civilization or Harappan civilization, was the Indian subcontinent’s first known urban culture and one of the world’s three early civilizations (the others being Mesopotamia and Egypt). Sophisticated settlements and development of trade and society are the key features of the Harappan Civilization.
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