Art And Architecture of Indus Valley Civilisation

Scholars date the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) around 2500-1750 BC based on radiocarbon techniques. It is also called Harappan civilisation. The site was first discovered through excavation in 1921 under the supervision of Daya Ram Sahni. Mohenjo Daro and Harappa are the two main sites where we can observe the peak of the art and architecture of the Indus Valley Civilisation. 

These places have three basic characteristics: town planning, evidence of central administration, and bearing an essential and foremost phase of society. The most developed town of the Indus Valley civilisation is, without a doubt, Mohenjo Daro. The city exhibits multiple phases of settlement. 

Chronology

The development of the art and architecture of the Harappan civilisation was a long and complicated cultural process. We can identify a general three-phase chronology of the Harappan culture. We derive these three phases from calibrating radiocarbon dates from different sites.

Geographical Distribution

Various archaeological excavations have brought to light the extent of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The IVC extends from Sutkagen Dor situated on the Makran Coast (Western limit) in Pakistan to Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh (Eastern Limit).  

Settlement Pattern

Let us understand the settlement pattern of the Harappan civilisation through its art and architecture.

• The varying size of the Harappan sites: 

The Harappan sites varied a great deal in size and function, from large cities to small pastoral camps. 

• Town planning: 

Town planning is among the fascinating aspects that the art and architecture of the Harappan civilisation reveal. Almost every significant site has a criss-cross layout, with the streets connecting at right angles. The urban design separates the city into several residential areas.

• Planning of houses:

Most doorways and windows face the side streets, and only a few open onto the main streets. There were stairs in some buildings, suggesting an upper floor as well.

• Drainage system: 

The Harappans had a complex and well-designed drainage system. Every home had drains that connected to the public sewer system. Cleaning stations were built at regular intervals along the side of the roadways with bricks or stone slabs. The people could remove these slabs for cleaning.

• Rural-Urban interaction: 

Due to the urban population’s reliance on the surrounding countryside for food and many other necessities, a village-town (rural-urban) connection arose.                      

The Lifestyle of the Harappan People

Let us look at some important aspects of the lifestyle in the Harappan civilisation.

• Agriculture:

The IVC sites share some common characteristics in terms of soil type, climate, and subsistence pattern. The area was flat, and the only water source was monsoons and Himalayan rivers. 

The agro-pastoral economy was a prominent feature in this region due to its unique location. Agriculture and pastoralism (cattle-rearing) was the basis of the Harappan economy.

This area’s resource capacity was adequate to produce food in surplus, an important urbanisation feature. The variety of the subsistence base may also have played a role in its survival for a long time.

Cotton was a major crop. At Kalibangan, archaeologists uncovered a ploughed field at early Harappan levels. At Shortughai, excavators discovered irrigation channels.

• Animal husbandry and other resources

Wild animals: Researchers have found bones of wild animals at Harappan sites. These remains include those of deer, rhinoceros, elephants, camel, etc. Tigers are commonly portrayed in figurines, while leopards are less frequently depicted.

Riverine and marine resources: The Harappans exploited riverine and marine resources where these were available. Dried fish and molluscs provided an important protein-rich element in people’s diets.

Domesticated animals: Domesticated animals such as humped and humpless cows, buffalo, sheep, and goats have also been discovered in Harappan sites. 

• External Trade:

The Harappans traded with Mesopotamia regularly. In the Persian Gulf, it was mainly through Oman and Bahrain. The presence of Harappa artefacts like beads, seals, dice, and other items in these areas supports this theory. 

The typical imports were copper, gold, tin, and various semi-precious stones.

• Standardisation:

The IVC people also standardised weights and measures units. Archaeologists have discovered cubical weights made of chalcedony, chert, black stone, and other materials at all excavated sites. The standardised system of weights and measures might have supported the trade. 

The Harappan crafts also show a remarkable degree of standardisation. 

The system is binary in the smaller weights (1:2:8:16:32:64) and decimal in the higher weights. 

Conclusion

The Indus Valley civilisation had a well-developed urban planning system, with standardised systems for determining weights and lengths. They were also skilled at medical science with evidence of proto-dentistry, brain surgery, and usage of herbs for treatment, mathematics and geometry.

Scholars consider the Indus Valley Civilisation to be advanced for its time. The art and architecture of the IVC is an important part of the evolution of Indian architecture.