-
7000 BCE
The peak of the Indus Valley Civilization
Around 7000 BCE, the Indus Valley Civilization begins (Evidence is found by archaeologists). -
4000 BCE
Early Development
The development of more established agricultural practices and village life in the region started. The production of wheat and barely blew up and domesticated sheep and goats were everywhere. The Bronze age began. -
3300 BCE
Early Harappan Phase
First signs of urbanization and complex societies begin to emerge. People lived in houses made of mud bricks of standard sizes. The township was Fortified with a 3 - 4 metre-thick wall. Copper axes, terracotta bangles shell, carnelian etc. have been found. -
3000 BCE
Ancient art discovered
Pottery with distinctive designs and standardized weights begin to appear. Indus Valley excavation sites have revealed a number of distinct examples of the culture's art, including sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry, and anatomically detailed figurines in terracotta, bronze, and steatite. Indus Priest/King Statue. The statue is 17.5 cm high and carved from steatite. -
2600 BCE
Mature Harappan Phase begins
The rise of major cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa are a major mark of this phase along with well-developed drainage systems. Both places displayed advanced urban planning with grid-like street layouts and multi-story buildings too. -
2500 BCE
Indus Script is in use
The Indus Valley script combines word signs and symbols with phonetic values. The writing system is called logosyllabic. Some characters express ideas or words, while others represent sounds. -
2500 BCE
Extensive trade networks develop
The Indus people were greatly reliant on trade. They traded with many different civilizations like Persia, Mesopotamia and China. They were also known to trade in the Arabian Gulf region, central parts of Asia, portions of Afghanistan and northern and western India. -
2300 BCE
Construction of large public buildings
The Town Hall and the Great Bath in Mohenjo-Daro, the granary in Harappa were public structures discovered during the excavation of the Indus Valley towns. These cities had well-structured wastewater drainage systems and waste disposal systems. There were large walls and citadels, but no evidence of monuments, palaces and temples was found. -
2200 BCE
Evidence of sophisticated craftsmanship
The cities, such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, showcased an advanced level of architectural knowledge. Artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization reveal a high level of craftsmanship in various fields. The artists and craftsmen of the Indus Valley were extremely skilled in a variety of crafts like metal casting, stone carving, making and painting pottery and making terracotta images using simplified motifs of animals, plants and birds. -
2000 BCE
Possible climate change shift river patterns
The Harappan were hit by not one, but two consecutive major droughts. The dry spell, lasting 900 years, slowly destroyed its irrigation systems, devastated agriculture and eventually forced Indus people at places such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro to abandon the thriving urban culture. -
1900 BCE
The Mature Harappan Phase declines
Lots of researchers believe that the main reason for the decline of the Harappan culture was caused by environmental factors, such as floods and earthquakes. According to research, there was physical evidence to prove that the decline of the Harappan culture was caused by flooding and drought. -
1800 BCE
The Indus Valley Civilization begins to significantly decline
Civilization in the Indus River Valley began to decline as people migrated eastward to the Himalayan foothills. Here, they shifted from a civilization composed of large cities to one of mostly small farming villages. Most Harappan cities were almost completely abandoned. -
1700 BCE
Further decline in urban centers
The advanced drainage systems and baths of the great cities were built over or blocked. Writing began to disappear, and the standardized weights and measures used for trade and taxation fell out of use. -
1500 BCE
The Late Harappan Phase settlements shift
the Indus Valley climate grew cooler and drier, and a tectonic event may have diverted or disrupted river systems, which were the lifelines of the Indus Valley Civilization. The Harappans may have migrated toward the Ganges basin in the east, where they could have established villages and isolated farms. -
1300 BCE
The Indus Valley Civilization largely disappears
Any major environmental change, such as deforestation, flooding or droughts due to a river changing course, could have had disastrous effects on Harappan society, such as crop failures, starvation, and disease. Skeletal evidence suggests many people died from malaria, which is most often spread by mosquitoes. -
1200 BCE
Evidence of the new cultural group appears in region
A nomadic, Indo-European tribe called the Aryans suddenly overwhelmed and conquered the Indus Valley Civilization. -
1000 BCE
The Indus Valley legacy persists
The Indus Valley civilisation left no temples or tombs, like the Pyramids of Egypt. There are also no remains of great statues of kings or gods. Instead the Indus Valley's cultural legacy is of small and well-crafted art. -
First major excavations at Harappa are performed
The remains of the Harappan civilization, dating from 2600 B.C. to 2000-1800 B.C., include cities and villages, craft centers, river stations, camp sites, fortified palaces and probable ports, spread over a vast geographic area of 1.25 million Square Kilometers. -
Legacy
The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, a technical and political process concerned with the use of land and design of the urban environment. They are also noted for their baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large, nonresidential buildings. -
Present Day
Gujarat, a state steeped in culture and history, is home to some 200 sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Travellers can visit sites like Lothal, Dholavira and Surkotada to witness the heritage of this ancient civilisation.