Indus Valley civilization

One of the four earliest ancient civilizations of the Old World (the other three being the Sumerian civilization of 3500 BC; Egypt 3000 BC; and China 2200 BC), developing in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent c. 2500 BC.

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were the two main city complexes, but many more existed along the Indus Valley, now in Pakistan. Remains include grid-planned streets with municipal drainage, public and private buildings, baths, temples, and a standardized system of weights and measures – all of which testify to centralized political control. Evidence exists for trade with Sumer and Akkad. The Aryan invasion of c. 1500 BC probably led to its downfall.