Ancient History: Prehistoric and Indus Valley Civilization

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the major sites, figures, and cultural characteristics of the Indus Valley and Iron Age civilizations as described in the lecture notes.

Indus Valley Civilization

A Bronze Age civilization that flourished in $2500\text{--}1750\,BCE$ in northwest India and Pakistan, known for urban planning, drainage systems, and trade.

Vedic Civilization

A civilization that emerged from $1500\,BCE$ onwards, following the Indus Valley Civilization.

Daya Ram Sahni

An officer from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who discovered Harappa in present-day Punjab, Pakistan, in $1921$.

R.D. Banerjee

The historian who discovered the site of Mohenjo-daro in Sindh in $1922$.

Harappan Circular Brick Platforms

Rows of structures found at Harappa containing remains of wheat and barley grains, suggesting their use for granary storage or processing rather than religious ceremonies.

Banawali

A site in the Fatehabad district of Haryana excavated by Dr R.S. Bisht, featuring a fortified citadel, lower town, and remains from Pre-Harappan, Harappan, and Bara phases.

Tekwada

An Iron Age site located in Maharashtra.

Hallur

An Iron Age site located in Karnataka.

Painted Grey Ware ($PGW$)

The ceramic tradition associated with the Vedic Age, particularly the Later Vedic period.

Mohenjo-daro Drains

Exiting city drainage systems that featured wooden doors to prevent vagrants from entering.

Harappan Burial Practice

The tradition at Harappan sites where the dead were generally laid in pits.

Early Harappan Red Ware

The pottery tradition associated with the Harappan Age, often featuring painted designs.

Black and Red Ware

The pottery tradition associated with the Iron Age cultural period.

Ekkas

Small bullock carts identified via findings such as statues and sculptures at Harappa.

Lothal

A Harappan site in Gujarat that featured a brick dockyard for berthing ships and provided evidence of rice cultivation.

Mohenjo-daro Findings

Archaeological discoveries at this site include a paved bathroom, the bronze Dancing Girl, the Bearded Priest, and the Great Granary.