The ancient Indus River Valley civilization had gridded streets, multistory homes, flush toilets, and bustling shops. It traded gold, precious stones, and bronze carts with other areas along the region’s waterways. Some people carved human figurines and others made toys of clay. Crops included wheat, barley, and cotton. Tools were made to bring water from nearby rivers for crops.
The valley is largely
located in Pakistan and northwest India. It hosted one of the most advanced
societies at the time, rivaling Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. And then it
disappeared.
Scientists have been
looking at the environmental conditions in an attempt to explain the downfall
of Harappa, one of the valley’s largest cities. Using paleoclimate data and
computer models, they re-created the climate during the civilization’s existence,
which was between 3000 and 1000 BC. During that time, four intense droughts
dried up waterways and soils. This probably caused the Harappan residents to
relocate frequently.
Harappa’s decline was
partially caused by repeated, long, and intensifying rivers droughts that
lasted centuries. It is thought that if there is less food and a weak
government, such droughts can push a civilization over the brink. Despite the
persistent droughts, this civilization lasted a long time.
Over 2,000 years,
Harappan settlements became more concentrated closer to water.
Scientists determined
that vigorous monsoons across the region created much wetter conditions than
today. That was between 3000 and 2475 BC. But then drier conditions and
increased temperatures came in. And droughts.
There were four
droughts—each lasting more than 85 years—between 2425 and 1400 BC. The third
drought was the worst and it peaked around 1733 BC. It lasted for 164 years and
affected most of the region.
The rainfall changes
meant lakes and shallow waterbodies shrank, river flow decreased, and the soil
dried up. Lower rivers meant that trade boats and barges could only move at
certain times. Agriculture also became tougher in areas away from waterways.
This pushed people to
move, which may have contributed to the society’s decline.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/scientists-may-have-solved-why-this-ancient-advanced-civilization-vanished/ar-AA1RhqRG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6928fae6b3a04bd585a20b944d8846b3&ei=14
