A
The image is a magazine/news article titled “Droughts led to the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilisation” from New Scientist (6 December 2025).
Main points
Researchers argue that repeated droughts, driven by climate changes, played a major role in the decline of the Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization.
The Harappans lived in what is now Pakistan and India about 4,000 years ago and built settlements along the Indus River and its tributaries.
The civilization was known for sophisticated water-management systems, including terracotta pipes and brick drainage channels.
According to the article, scientists identified four major drought periods between pre-Harappan and later Harappan times.
The study suggests that rainfall decreased substantially and that dry conditions persisted for long periods.
One severe drought is estimated to have lasted at least 85 years, between roughly 4200 and 3400 years ago.
As water availability declined and the Indus River level fell, people appear to have:
Abandoned some cities,
Migrated toward the Himalayan foothills and the Ganges plain,
Shifted settlements closer to remaining water sources.
A
Based on the article and the prevailing archaeological interpretation, the people of the Indus Valley Civilization did not disappear suddenly. Instead, many appear to have migrated eastward and southward as conditions became drier.
The article specifically mentions movement toward:
The Himalayan foothills
The Ganges Plain (also called the Gangetic Plain)
Archaeologists think that as rivers became less reliable and droughts intensified, large urban centers such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa gradually lost population. People likely dispersed into smaller farming communities closer to dependable water sources.
It's important to note that the evidence suggests migration and transformation, not extinction. Many scholars believe descendants of Harappan populations remained in South Asia and contributed to later cultures that developed across northern India and Pakistan.
In short: they mostly moved to regions with more reliable water, especially east toward the Ganges basin, and their civilization evolved rather than vanishing outright.
No comments:
Post a Comment