Mohenjo-daro | Archaelogical site Pakistan

Mohenjo-Daro

Mohenjo-Daro was a part of the Indus Valley Civilization a former metropolis in Pakistan, The metropolis, one of the largest cities of its day, was built around 2500 BCE and had a population of about 40,000. The city's grid layout included the streets, governmental buildings, and private residences. Today, Mohenjo-Daro is a World Heritage site and a significant archaeological site for the study of the Indus Valley Harrapa Civilization.

The city's state-of-the-art sewage and water management systems were notable features. Nevertheless, the city was abandoned in 1900 BCE, and the reasons. for its collapse are still a mystery. Taxila city History & Archaeology

9 Facts About the Lost City of Mohenjo-Daro

Here are 9  facts about the lost city of mohenjadaro these are following:

1  Mohenjo-Daro was divided into two parts

Similar to its contemporaries, Mohenjo-Daro had two sections. (Kalibangan and Harappa).

The Great Bath, granaries, and the college of priests were only a few of the important administrative structures that were situated on the western mound, also known as the Citadel. On an elevated mud-brick platform, it was built.

It was enclosed by a huge retaining wall made of mud bricks. There were various streets and little alleyways that split this part of the city. As people began to live here, a significant amount of artifacts and data about burial customs were discovered in this region. 

2. Mohenjo-Daro's town was not entirely grid-organized.

Despite its size and significance, Mohenjo-Daro does not have a perfect grid system, even though it is believed that the Harappan roads were built in a grid-pattern orientation. Even with meticulous planning, certain roads weren't always straight and were meant to cross at an angle. 

The four blocks of the lower city were separated by the roads. The auxiliary roads and alleys connected them, and mud brick was used to build them. Two bullock carts could pass each other on the main road, which was quite wide.

3. It Featured the best Channelled Drainage system on earth

The Harappan cities had outstanding drainage systems, which earned them a reputation. Every home was wired into the city's main drain, which ran throughout the entire area. These connected sewers were combined, and the entire sewage was then released outside the city limits. 

Because they needed to be cleaned frequently, the lids of these closed drains were purposely carved out of limestone, which is much lighter than the other rocks. These drains were waterproofed by the Harappans, who also used bitumen, in one of the earliest examples of waterproofing in history.

4. Mohenjo-Daro Contained multi-story Constructions.

All around the town of Mohenjo-Daro, people lived in houses with similar features. They consisted of compartments set up in a circle around a main courtyard. In practically every residence, there were private facilities and toilets. The windows and doors were always open in the alleys.

 

Their residences size reveals how concentrated wealth is among a small number of people. For example, while the common people lived in one-story dwellings, the wealthy lived in homes with two or even three stories.

5 Great Bath

The Great Bath, a rectangular public pool, is situated on the castle's grounds. Although the purpose of these public baths on the acropolis is uncertain, it is occasionally thought that they had magical significance. The Great Bath is a structural marvel with modern components despite this. The pool has steps and changing rooms on both sides. 

The bath is slanted to one side to allow regular water disposal. To make the Great Bath watertight, gypsum and bitumen were utilized.  ts water supply is also connected to a nearby well. It is still unknown who had access to this building and what it was used for, even though it had sizable entrances on the North and South. 

6. Mohenjo-Daro Contained a Total of 700 wells.

Mohenjo-Daro's residents relied on both private and public wells to suit their needs despite being close to the Indus River. There are a total of 700 wells in this area. Drains used to collect rainwater were different from those used to collect sewage. 

Furthermore, it is thought that every house in Mohenjo-Daro had a separate well. The Great Bath received water through one of these wells as well. When compared to other settlements like Harappa and Dholavira, which had few wells, Mohenjo-Daro had the most overall.

7. The Harappans were Talented Artisans.

Mohenjo-Daro's lower town, where the residents resided, has produced a sizable number of artifacts. Bronze sculptures were made using the lost-wax technique, which is being utilized today. Here, a well-known sculpture of a girl was found standing with her arms outstretched towards her knees with a pouty expression. 

The Dancing Girl was an avant-garde piece of literature, according to sources. An archaeologist from the United Kingdom named Mortimer Wheeler characterized it as "a girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world." I think she's the best there is.

8. The People Adored wearing Jewellery and other accessories. 

According to many excavations, the people of Mohenjo-Daro may have taken pleasure in designing and adorning themselves with jewelry made of rare metals and stones. Gold and silver were obtained from the Khetri mines in Rajasthan, even though rare stones like lapis lazuli and others had to be carried from the nearby Afghanistan region.

People wore necklaces and bangles. The semi-precious stone beads that were more widely used were agate and steatite. A seven-stranded necklace comprised of gold and semi-precious stones was among the most valuable jewelry items found here. 

9. People Prayed to a statue that Resembled Shiva

The Harappans were initially thought to have worshipped nature. But further research revealed that the Harappan civilization was matriarchal. They had a unique relationship with the deity of conception and procreation known as the Mother deity. The mother goddess Shakambari, also known as has appeared in a significant number of clay sculptures. 

Through their seals, Pashupati or Proto-Shiva are revealed to us. In terms of facial features, the man's representation of the seals mirrors the features of contemporary Shiva. His plainly visible phallus and yogic pose indicated that he held an important status in society. He is surrounded by numerous animals, leading some to believe that he is a tribal leader and guardian.