What can we learn from Indus Valley artefacts?

Archaeologists haven’t discovered any temples or tombs from the Indus Valley yet. No remains of great statues of rulers or gods have been found. They might still be hidden underground, or the Indus people may have built them using materials that didn’t survive.

The Indus Valley civilisation has not left behind any huge monuments like the ancient Egyptians did with their pyramids.

Instead the Indus Valley’s cultural legacy is of small and well-crafted pieces of art.

While many ancient civilisations focused on worship, it seems that play was very important to the Indus Valley people. They made toys and small figures of people and animals, using metal and clay.

Small clay figures have been found which archaeologists think were thrown into rubbish pits. Perhaps they were good luck charms, or used once and then thrown away?

The Indus people wrote on soft clay using pointed sticks or by scratching marks onto stone and metal.

People wrote the first line from right to left, the second line from left to right, and so on.

What can we learn about the writing that was left behind? Well, not very much. Indus Valley writing used at least 400 picture-signs - they were not letters like in our alphabet. But the longest bit of writing found has only 26 characters.

No one knows what language the Indus people spoke, and no one has yet been able to read their writing.

Some experts think the Indus language may have been similar to Tamil, which is spoken today by people in southern India and Sri Lanka.

Pictures on seals and other artefacts show what look like figures of gods. But we don't know what the Indus people called them.

One looks like a mother goddess. People might have believed this goddess gave health and fertility to people, animals and plants.

Plants, trees and animals were probably important to Indus people. The pipal or fig tree is shown on many seals, and is still a sacred tree for many Buddhists and Hindus.

Hinduism also places importance on ritual bathing. Many people believe the 'great bath' found in Mohenjo-Daro suggests the Indus people held similar beliefs about purity.

Some people think that the Indus religion shaped early Hindu beliefs.

Graves can tell archaeologists a lot. Indus Valley people were buried with clay pots and clay figures, as well as beads.

Putting these items in graves may mean that they had a religious belief in an afterlife, in which they could use these belongings again.

In the 1920s, 39 skeletons were found in the city of Mohenjo-Daro. Some archaeologists thought these men, woman and children might have been killed by invaders.

However, only two skeletons had marks similar to those made by sword or spear. One was an old wound, another was healing - perhaps after an accident.

There is no evidence of a battle. Perhaps these people were left together because they died from disease. What do you think happened to these mystery skeletons?

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

• Why would it be significant to translate the Indus script?

• What evidence do historians and archaeologists have of an Indus afterlife?

• Why is our understanding of the Indus people less than those of people like the Ancient Egyptians?

Let's find out what you know about Indus Valley artefacts in this quiz.

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