Mohenjo-Daro: The Great Harrapan City
29 March 2012
Mohenjo-Daro: The Great Harrapan City Even though the long lost city of Mohenjo-Daro was not discovered until 1922, it is one of the greatest discoveries of all time because it is among the oldest of any archeological sites in the world, at its height being the most developed city in Asia. During an excavation in 1922 of a Buddhist Stupa, by Mr. R. D. Banerji, the first remains of the large urban city were uncovered accidentally (Wheeler 1). However, after only a few years the sight was almost entirely forgotten again until Sir Mortimer Wheeler brought attention back to it in the 1940’s (McIntosh 4). As of today only one third of Mohenjo-Daro’s ruins, covering three miles in circumference (Wheeler 6), have been excavated since its discovery (Archeological). Unfortunately today “the foundations of the sight are threatened by saline action due to a rise of the water table of the Indus River” (Archeological). The artifacts recovered from Mohenjo-Daro have yielded many great insights into the lives of pre-Maurya Empire civilizations making the site priceless to the archeological community (Wheeler 1). Archeologists are still not able to tell exactly who occupied the city but they collectively refer to its people and other nearby cities as the Indus Civilization (Roach). Today it is believed that Mohenjo-Daro was one of two Harrapan Kingdom capitals, the other being Harappa 350 miles to the north-east (Wheeler 5). In comparison to the other ancient Asian cities “its urban planning surpasses that of many other sites of the oriental civilizations that were to follow”. Since “Mohenjo-Daro is the most ancient and best preserved urban ruin in the Indian subcontinent” it is one of the most desirable sights in the world for excavations (Archeological). While excavating in India, Sir John Marshall came to the conclusion that the Indus civilization at its peak was much larger than Mesopotamian Empires and Old Egypt (McIntosh 32). In fact, during
Mohenjo-Daro: The Great Harrapan City Even though the long lost city of Mohenjo-Daro was not discovered until 1922, it is one of the greatest discoveries of all time because it is among the oldest of any archeological sites in the world, at its height being the most developed city in Asia. During an excavation in 1922 of a Buddhist Stupa, by Mr. R. D. Banerji, the first remains of the large urban city were uncovered accidentally (Wheeler 1). However, after only a few years the sight was almost entirely forgotten again until Sir Mortimer Wheeler brought attention back to it in the 1940’s (McIntosh 4). As of today only one third of Mohenjo-Daro’s ruins, covering three miles in circumference (Wheeler 6), have been excavated since its discovery (Archeological). Unfortunately today “the foundations of the sight are threatened by saline action due to a rise of the water table of the Indus River” (Archeological). The artifacts recovered from Mohenjo-Daro have yielded many great insights into the lives of pre-Maurya Empire civilizations making the site priceless to the archeological community (Wheeler 1). Archeologists are still not able to tell exactly who occupied the city but they collectively refer to its people and other nearby cities as the Indus Civilization (Roach). Today it is believed that Mohenjo-Daro was one of two Harrapan Kingdom capitals, the other being Harappa 350 miles to the north-east (Wheeler 5). In comparison to the other ancient Asian cities “its urban planning surpasses that of many other sites of the oriental civilizations that were to follow”. Since “Mohenjo-Daro is the most ancient and best preserved urban ruin in the Indian subcontinent” it is one of the most desirable sights in the world for excavations (Archeological). While excavating in India, Sir John Marshall came to the conclusion that the Indus civilization at its peak was much larger than Mesopotamian Empires and Old Egypt (McIntosh 32). In fact, during