<aside> 💡 From this lesson, you must know…

1. How the Neolithic Revolution transformed humans
2. Understand what are the characteristics of civilizations
3. How did the Indus Civilization meet this criteria? </aside>

Characteristics of Civilization

Historians and anthropologists developed a criteria for a civilization’s level of development. We generally look for these characteristics:

• The growth of populated cities
• The emergence of religious beliefs and institutions
• The order of a strong central authority
• A writing system for communication and record-keeping
• The stratification of society with specialized roles
• The undertaking of complex construction project

Indus River Valley Civilization

Location

India began along the Indus River, which floods and leaves behind fertile soil.

Seasonal monsoons cause summer rains and floods

<aside> ☝ Monsoon - a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon).

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The people of the Indus Valley were well protected geographically because they are surrounded by oceans, mountains, and deserts.

Cities

Indus cities were planned cities with high walls and a citadel of major buildings.

• Indus civilization laid out in a grid pattern
• Citadel: a fortress, typically on high ground, protecting or dominating a city

Major cities include Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa