Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Indus Valley Civilization Lecture Notes

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key historical terms, sites, archaeological cultures, and scholarly theories regarding the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Indus Valley Civilization as discussed in the lecture.

Bronze

A metal created when copper is heated and mixed with tin, used widely to make tools, weapons, and other implements.

Bronze Age Civilizations

Well-known societies including ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Mycenae, the Indus Valley, and the Shang Dynasty in China.

Iron Age

A period beginning about three thousand years ago ($1100-600\,BC$) when societies developed new tools and more complex civilizations using iron.

Painted Grey Ware culture

An archaeological culture of the Iron Age in India dated between $1200$ to $600\,BC$.

Northern Black Polished Ware

An archaeological culture of the Iron Age in India dated between $700$ to $200\,BC$.

Indus Valley Civilization

An ancient urban civilization that flourished on the bank of the Indus River between $2500-1700\,BC$, known as the most ancient urban civilization in the world.

John Marshall

The individual who first used the term "Indus civilization."

Shatughai and Mundigaq

Indus sites found in Afghanistan.

Meluha

The name given to the Indus region in Sumerian texts referring to trade relations.

Dilmun and Makan

Two intermediate stations referred to in Sumerian texts, identified as Bahrain and the Makran coast, respectively.

Susa and Ur

Mesopotamian places where Harappan seals were found.

Indus Valley area

The total area of the Indus valley civilization, which was $12,99,600\,Sq\,km$.

Cotton

A resource the Indus people were the first in the world to produce.

Lion

An animal that was not known to the Indus people.

Port cities (Indus)

Strategic coastal locations including Lothal, Allahdino, Balakot, Kuntasi, and Sutkagendor.

Pictographic script

The type of writing found on Indus seals.

Dravidians

The group that the majority of scholars believe to be the makers of the Indus civilization.

R.D. Banerjee

The scholar who held the opinion that the makers of the Indus Valley Civilization were Dravidian.

Granaries

Structures used by the Indus people for storing grains.

Barter system

The method of exchange used in Indus civilization because there was no evidence of coins.