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History 8 India Ancient India Workbook

11. These ruins are a sign this was a complex, highly organized civilization. Why do you think they are evidence of this?

Ruins found by archeologists across India all have the same layout. this shows they are very organized and have a good way a communicating with each other through some sort of network. the cities were had the same layout of streets and sewers and had similar architecture. In order for this to be possible the towns had to have been carefully planned out before they were built. they weren't just temporary towns that were thrown together. they were planning to stay for a long time. this organization also implies a carefully structured government, economy, and system of trade. Class notes http://www.all-about-india.com/Ancient-India.html Harrison Ray

12. Some archaeologists think that washing may have had religious or ritual meaning. What do you think they mean by that?

Archeologists have found large pools in the center of the cities in India. The archeologist believe that the large baths could be used for religious beliefs involving cleanliness and washing. The Great Bath found in Mohenjo-Daro was 39 feet long, 23 feet wide, and 8 feet deep and contained a drain meaning the bath could be filled and emptied however the people wanted. This showed extreme advancement in their technology. There is no written proof that this great city practiced bathing rituals but bathing rituals are a large part of Hinduism. The baths were built 4-5 thousand years ago. So even though there is no written down proof that cleansing was a ritual in ancient India it is perfectly okay to believe that it was based on the evidence and the fact that it is practiced as a ritual in modern day India. [1] [2] CF Manuel page 170 Sarah Grace Ritter

13. What else can you surmise about this aspect of the Indus River civilization?

The Indus River Valley Civilization is a civilization where they had many water rituals. These rituals were very similar to the Hebrews and the Israelites. "All houses had access to water and were about the same size, houses had one or two stories, most buildings were made of dry bricks, no large monuments or structures." But all of this shows that they were a very developed civilization! They had access to water systems that would take sewage out of their city and into another city. Which made there city very high in technology!!! [3] Jasmine Williams