Mohenjo Daro

Since the beginning of excavation at this complex of mounds in1921–1922, Mohenjo Daro became the most famous site of the “Indus” or “Indus Valley civilization,” although the slightly earlier work at Harappa provided archaeologists with a type-site and the historical–cultural designation “Harappan.” Even today, the terms Harappan and Harappan civilization are used as synonyms for Indus (or Indus Valley) civilization and refer to remains at Mohenjo Daro and numerous other sites that share recognizable features with Harappa. In fact, during the Bronze Age (ca.2600–1900 BC), hundreds of settlements (some of [Page 1607]them quite large) dotted the transborder region of northwestern India and eastern and southern Pakistan. Although each of these Bronze Age sites has its own story, each also shared a sophisticated and distinctive cultural tradition that continues to inspire archaeō logical research and impress visitors.

Years ago, scholars suggested that Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, the latter of which was located approximately 400 miles to the northeast of Mohenjo Daro, were twin capitals of an empire. More recent surveys and excavations indicate that Mohenjo Daro was instead one of a number of urban centers (including Ganweriwala, Rakhigarhi, Dholavira, and Harappa) that served as hubs, perhaps like city-states, in a vast network of local and long-distance trade, all of which depended on the region's agricultural productivity. Residents at Harappan sites, including Mohenjo Daro, kept many species of domesticated animals, and various crops were grown, with wheat and barley being especially important. There is no hard evidence of irrigation, like that found in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but it is possible that floods destroyed such tangible remains or that the people of Mohenjo Daro used less elaborate systems to divert water. This Harappan economic network, which was concentrated in the alluvial plains of the Indus River and its tributaries, covered an area of at least 250,000 square miles and, at least in size, could be said to rival the territories united by rulers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The lack of historical accounts from this period and region makes it impossible to describe the political organization that created or protected this territory or to explain precisely how a major site such as Mohenjo Daro fits into the whole picture.

Mohenjo Daro itself is located in southcentral Pakistan's Sind province, on the west side of the Indus River, whose nearest branch is now located approximately 3 miles east of the site. Over time, the artificial mounds (evidence of long-term occupation and extensive use of mud brick), large portions of which remain unexcavated, have been severely eroded and destroyed by Indus flooding. The ruins cover approximately 250 acres, and population estimates for the ancient city range from 20,000 to 35,000. As is the case at Harappa, heavy alluvium has covered ancient occupational deposits at Mohenjo Daro and makes it impossible to determine precisely the site's size and population, which might have been considerably larger than current estimates.

The name Mohenjo Daro is modern and is usually translated as “Mound of the Dead”; like all Harappan sites, this city's ancient name is unknown. Mohenjo Daro is better preserved than Harappa, and its exposed remains are impressive in terms of the site's layout and the extent to which buildings have survived. The rising water table has made excavation of the site's earliest levels difficult and sometimes impossible, and the rising water table even threatens the survival of buried remains.

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