Editing Indus Valley Civilisation (section)

=== Cities ===
{{Main|Harappan architecture}}
A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture is evident in the Indus Valley Civilisation, making them the first urban centre in the region. The quality of municipal town planning suggests the knowledge of [[urban planning]] and efficient municipal governments which placed a high priority on [[hygiene]], or, alternatively, accessibility to the means of religious ritual.{{sfn|Possehl|2002|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=XVgeAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA193 193ff]}}

As seen in Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and the recently{{When|date=July 2024}} partially excavated [[Rakhigarhi]], this urban plan included the world's first known [[Sanitation of the Indus Valley civilisation|urban sanitation system]]s. Within the city, individual homes or groups of homes obtained water from [[water well|wells]]. From a room that appears to have been set aside for bathing, [[wastewater|waste water]] was directed to covered drains, which lined the major streets. Houses opened only to inner [[courtyard]]s and smaller lanes. The housebuilding in some villages in the region still resembles in some respects the housebuilding of the Harappans.{{refn|group=lower-alpha|It has been noted that the courtyard pattern and techniques of flooring of Harappan houses has similarities to the way house-building is still done in some villages of the region.{{Sfn|Lal|2002|pp=93–95}}}}

The ancient Indus systems of sewerage and drainage that were developed and used in cities throughout the Indus region were far more advanced than any found in contemporary urban sites in the Middle East and even more efficient than those in many areas of Pakistan and India today.{{Unbalanced opinion|date=July 2024}} The advanced architecture of the Harappans is shown by their dockyards, [[granary|granaries]], warehouses, brick platforms, and protective walls. The massive walls of Indus cities most likely protected the Harappans from floods and may have dissuaded military conflicts.{{sfn|Morris|1994|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=whBEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 31]}}

The purpose of the citadel remains debated. In sharp contrast to this civilisation's contemporaries, [[Mesopotamia]] and [[ancient Egypt]], no large monumental structures were built. There is no conclusive evidence of palaces or temples.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|last=Kenoyer|first=Jonathan Mark|date=2008 |url=https://southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/757/2017/08/Kenoyer2008-Indus-Valley-Article.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412163416/https://southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/757/2017/08/Kenoyer2008-Indus-Valley-Article.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2020 |url-status=live |title=Indus Civilization |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Archaeology|volume=1|page=719}}</ref> Some structures are thought to have been granaries. Found at one city is an enormous well-built bath (the "[[Great Bath, Mohenjo-daro|Great Bath]]"), which may have been a public bath. Although the citadels were walled, it is far from clear that these structures were defensive.

Most city dwellers appear to have been traders or artisans, who lived with others pursuing the same occupation in well-defined neighbourhoods. Materials from distant regions were used in the cities for constructing seals, beads and other objects. Among the [[artifact (archaeology)|artefacts]] discovered were beautiful glazed [[faïence]] beads. [[Steatite]] seals have images of animals, people (perhaps gods), and other types of inscriptions, including the yet un-deciphered [[Indus script|writing system of the Indus Valley Civilisation]]. Some of the seals were used to stamp clay on trade goods.

Although some houses were larger than others, Indus civilisation cities were remarkable for their apparent, if relative, [[egalitarianism]]. All the houses had access to water and drainage facilities. This gives the impression of a society with relatively low [[wealth concentration]].<ref name="green">{{Cite journal|last=Green|first=Adam S.|date=16 September 2020|title=Killing the Priest-King: Addressing Egalitarianism in the Indus Civilization|journal=Journal of Archaeological Research |volume=29|issue=2|pages=153–202|doi=10.1007/s10814-020-09147-9|issn=1573-7756|doi-access=free}}</ref>