HARAPPA
HARAPPAN WAY OF LIVING
Location
Harappa is in Pakistan. It's in the province of Punjab. The district is Sahi War District. In 1829, Charles Masson found Harappa. Harappa takes name from modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The Harappan site was damaged in 1857, when engineers constructed the Lahore-Multan railroad.
PEOPLE
They lived between 2,500 B.C.- 1,700 B.C. Their population was 15,000 people. They defiantly had a wealthy nation of farmers, crafts people, and traders. The Harappans were the first people to build sailing ships. They intermixed with the Aryans.
AGRICULTURE
The Harappans produced wheat, barley, peas, kodon, sanwa, jowar, ragi and more. They produced 2 types of wheat and barley, club wheat and italian dwart wheat. Good quality barley was found in Banwali. Some Harappans produced seseme and mustard. The Harappans were the eariest people to produce cotton.
SLEEPING
Some Harappans slept on roofs on hot nights where they couldn't stand the extreme heat. Most slept during the day and worked at night.
CURRENCY
They don't think they used currency at all. Think that they bartered and traded more than anything.
TRADE
The Harappans traded with Northern and Western areas.
MAJOR IMPORTS FROM HARAPPA
- GOLD: Afganistan, Persia, Karnataka
- SILVER: Afganistan, Iran
- COPPER: Baluchistan and Khetri(Rajasthan)
- TIN: Afghanistan, Central Asia
- AGATES: Western India
- LEAD: Rajasthan, South India, Afghanistan, Iran
- COINS: Copper seals from Lothal and Desalpur
- JADE: Central Asia
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Oxen, buffalo, goat, sheep, pigs were domesticated by Harappans, they included the Hump Bull as a pet. They acquanited with the rhinoceros, spotted dear, sambhar deer, hog deer, wild pig too.
ARTS
The Harappans were very artistic. They made seal engravings too. They made several kinds of tools/weapons; axes, knives, spears, ect...
CRAFTS
They practiced boat-making, seal-making, and terracotta manufacturing. "Mohenjo- Daro was a great industrial center." Pottery was very important to the craft world in Harappa. They used spinning wheels and kilns, and they smelted metals.
HOUSING
All of the Harappans were very concerned about bathing and cleanliness. Every Harappan household had clean water and toilet access. They had indoor plumbing. All of their homes were 1 or 2 stories high. They had no windows. Their drain pipes and walls were made of clay.
COMMUNICATION
Transportation and communication was a major part of trade and commerce for the Harappans. Over water, they used ships and boats as transportation. Over land, used bullock carts and rarely used horse carts.
WORSHIP
The Harappans Worshiped a mother goddess symbolizing fertility, a common practice among rural Hindus.
DAMAGE
Earthquakes and floods damaged the cities. The Indus River changed its course, killing many people and forcing them to flee the area.
CHILDREN
The Children of Harappa are being taught about ancient Harappan cultures. Harappan children go to school like everyone else.