Document 3-1: A Residential Street in Mohenjo-daro (ca. 2500–2000 B.C.E.)

Harappan Urban Planning

The Harappan civilization had a system of writing, but no one has been able to decipher it. Consequently, our understanding of Harappan society and culture depends largely on archaeological evidence. Instead of reading Harappan records, we must study the physical artifacts of Harappan civilization and draw inferences about the people who created them. This photograph of a residential street in the great city of Mohenjo-daro contains no written symbols, no sculptures, no depictions of any kind of Harappan life. Nonetheless it has much to tell us about Harappan society. As you examine it, think about what it reveals about the people who built Mohenjo-daro. What does it tell you about the resources they controlled, the organization of their society, and the power and authority of their leaders?

image
Werner Forman Archive/Bridgeman Images.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. What adjectives would you use to describe this street? What does the street suggest about the values of Mohenjo-daro’s residents?
  2. What must have been required to build a city with streets like this? What kind of society could marshal the necessary labor, resources, and planning?