jjares reviewed on 10/2/2022 + 3294 more book reviews

While Babylon and Memphis were rising stars in Mesopotamia, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were important cities in the Indus Valley Civilization. As early as 3300 BCE, settlements began to form along the Indus Valley rivers. They were true civilizations because they had well-developed cities with a social structure, long-distance trading, and the written word. Amazingly, these cities had public baths, comprehensive drainage systems, markets, and other large networks (not known to exist at such an early time).

The amazing fact remains that people did not remember Harappa. Only archeology of the 19th and 20th centuries brought points to the fore. Harappa was an essential city of 50,000 (at its apex) for over 1000 years. However, by 1300 BCE, Harappa was gone. The reason behind the abandonment of this city is still unknown. There is no evidence that the city fell to attack or military difficulties. It is a fascinating mystery why Harappa and all the Indus Valley cities were suddenly depopulated, with no signs of a violent struggle. Scientists are still searching for a solution to this mystery.

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