What is the Indus Valley Civilisation?

What was the Indus Valley Civilisation?

The Indus Valley Civilisation was an ancient civilisation that existed in the Bronze Age. It lasted from approximately 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE and was located in the northwestern regions of South Asia.

It was one of three early civilisations located in this area, in addition to ancient Egyptian civilisation and Mesopotamia. Out of these civilisations the Indus Valley Civilisation was the most wide spread.

The civilisation is famous for being very advanced for it's time, making use of sophisticated building techniques, early forms of writing, and complex water supply and drainage systems.

Where was the Indus Valley Civilisation based?

It's known as the Indus Valley Civilisation because it centred on the Indus River, which is a large river located in modern day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Northwest India. It's marked by a star in the handy map below:

As you can see in the map, at the time of the civilisation there was a second river which has since dried up. The civilisation covered a very large area, roughly four times the size of the United Kingdom.

Within this space was two large cities called Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, with each containing between 30,000 and 60,000 people. At the height of the civilisation, the entire region is likely to have contained up to five million people.

You can teach children more about the geographical location and how that shaped the Indus Valley Civilisation with this handy "Where was Indus Valley?" Teaching Pack.

5 Fun Facts about Indus Valley Civilisation:

• Archaeologists have found evidence that the Indus Valley Civilisation had pet animals, including dogs.
• The Indus Valley Civilisation made houses out of baked bricks which known today as Indus bricks.
• The first people started living in Indus Valley in around 7000 BCE.
• Archaeologists have found evidence of over 1000 Indus Valley Civilisation settlements, including towns, villages, and cities.
• The Indus Valley Civilisation made use of an early form of writing which looks similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs. These are known as Indus symbols and the earliest ones archaeologists have found date back to 3000 BCE.
• The Indus Valley Civilisation was fashion conscious. Archaeologists have found plenty of evidence suggesting that Indus women wore brightly coloured clothing and make up.

Find out more amazing facts about the Indus Valley Civilisation with our Indus Valley Display Fact Cards.

What was everyday life like for the Indus Valley Civilisation?

Because it was so long ago and no one has been able to decipher the few surviving examples of Indus Valley Civilisation writing, it's hard to say exactly what life would have been like.

One thing we do know is that people spent a lot of time outdoors. This was probably because it was very hot in the Indus valley region and peoples homes were built with very thick walls.

Most families had their own homes, and these were made from baked bricks, which was very sophisticated for the time.

Poorer people had small homes that had just one main room and a kind of bathroom. These were often also used as workshops, so there wasn't much space to relax.

Rich families had bigger houses that were often two stories high and had separate living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. They also had large, shady courtyards where you could play with friends, toys, or pets.

The Indus Valley Civilisation had large public baths where people would take part in ritual bathing. It's believed by some archaeologists and historians that Indus Valley people even practised yoga and meditation.

What was it like for children?

It's thought that the children of richer families would be allowed to go to school to learn how to write and be taught religious lessons by a priest.

Poorer children had to help their families with chores and work. They'd be taught how to make things, farm and/or hunt for food, depending on how the family made their living.

Archaeologists have also discovered toy animals and board games that children could play with in their free time. It's thought that the Indus Valley Civilisation invented dice.

A great way to get children thinking about what life might have been like for Indus Valley children is by getting them to write a diary entry imagining a day in their life. Try using our Indus Valley Civilisation Page Borders to spark their imaginations.

Were there Indus Valley Pets?

One of the most impressive and interesting things about the Indus Valley Civilisation is that archaeologists think they had pets. This means that the Indus Valley Civilisation may have been one of the earliest civilisations to domesticate animals.

Common Indus Valley pets included dogs, monkeys, and birds. There's also evidence to suggest that cattle and even elephants were domesticated by the civilisation.

The evidence suggests that the most common and popular Indus Valley pets were dogs. A large number of tiny dog statues made by the Indus Valley Civilisation was found where the city of Harappa used to be. These figurines appear to be very affectionately made, showing the dogs wearing collars in a variety of poses, often with a simile of their faces.

It's thought that other Indus Valley pets like monkeys and birds would have belonged only to rich families, but because dogs could be used to help for hunting and guarding, many more families had them. This means that they've been "man's best friend" for many thousands of years.

What religion did the Indus Valley Civilisation believe in?

Very little can be said for certain about religious beliefs in the Indus Valley.

Archaeologists have discovered symbols and artwork that depicts a great father and mother figure. These may have been their principal gods. Some scholars believe that these gods bear a resemblance to the Hindu gods Rudra and Shiva, hypothesizing that the Indus Valley Civilisation's belief system may have been a precursor to modern-day Hinduism.

It's likely that certain animals were also had a deep religious significance for the Indus Valley people. Tigers and snakes may have been thought of as evil forces. Bulls and goats also feature in religious imagery found on seals dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Indus Valley Civilisation and the National Curriculum:

The 2014 national curriculum for History states that during their UKS2 studies children should develop a knowledge of "the achievements of the earliest civilisations." This should include "an overview of where and when the first
civilisations appeared and an in-depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China".

This means that children should be aware of the achievements of the Indus Valley Civilisation such as their urban planning, water and drainage systems, and use of basic written language.

In addition to this, you may choose to focus on the Indus Valley Civilisation as part of an in-depth study. This could have a variety of topics such as location, population, timelines, and society. This often makes a fantastic choice, as children find discovering topics such as their fashion, make up, and Indus Valley pets fascinating topics.

Find out more about the 2014 national curriculum aims for UKS2 history here.

Lesson ideas for teaching about the Indus Valley Civilisation:

For a fun and engaging introduction to this fascinating topic, try our beautifully illustrated Introduction to the Indus Valley Civilisation PowerPoint presentation. This can be used to engage children in the subject, pique their curiosity, and introduce them to the key concepts you'll be studying.

To help children develop a good sense of the timescale and order of the key events that shapes Indus Valley Civilisation, try using our History Knowledge Organiser for the Indus Valley Civilisation. This handy teaching tool summarises all the key events children should know about in one easy-to-use resource. This makes it ideal for revision sessions or as a reference tool when writing assignments.

Our "Investigating Artefacts: Indus Valley Civilisation" Teaching Pack is brilliant for helping develop children's critical thinking skills while learning more about Indus Valley society. It encourages children to think about what artefacts can tell us about the way the Indus Valley people may have lived, and even provides more insight into Indus Valley pets.

When it comes to setting homework for the topic, our Indus Valley e-book is ideal. Children will love this beautifully illustrated virtual book which is packed with highly-readable facts and information about key events that happened in the Indus Valley Civilisation. It's all been written by our lovely team of experienced teachers to be as memorable and engaging as possible for children aged 9-11.

If you've decided to study the Indus Valley Civilisation for your in-depth study into an ancient civilisation (excellent choice) you'll love our Indus Valley UKS2 Unit Pack. This amazing teaching tool contains everything you need to plan and deliver six amazing lessons on the topic.

Each lesson is organised around a different theme, such as artefacts, what day to life was like, and fashion and jewellery. For each lesson you'll find a detailed lesson plan complete with success criteria, a beautifully illustrated PowerPoint presentation, and an amazing range of activities and worksheets for children to get stuck into.