The Harappan Civilisation (sources) quick notes

The really important sources :-

• The Great Bath

1. One of the largest public building
2. It is important  source of art and architecture of the time.
3. To prove the above point we can see how water tight is the great bathtThe floor of the tank is water tight due to finely fitted bricks laid on edge with gypsum plaster and the side walls were constructed in a similar manner. To make the tank even more water tight, a thick layer of bitumen (natural tar) was laid along the sides of the tank and presumably also beneath the floor.
4. The construction of the great bath indicate the  art of building had reached a high degree of perfection.
5. This also points out that there must be a ruling class to build such a massive structure.
6.  

•                                                                 Citadel

1. The Citadel is a large, man-made mound at the archaeological site of Mohenjo-daro. The mound is built out of bricks and is located in the outskirts.
2. Citadels in Indus Valley were almost 12 meters tall.
3. They are assume to have the houses of ruling class.
4. The elaborate planning at citadel point shows the development of the civilisation
5. 

• Seals 

1. The seals give us useful information about the civilization of Indus valley. Some seals have human or animal figures on them.
2. The seals even have an inscription of a sort of pictorial writing.
3. Important Seals:
   
   The Pashupati Seal: This seal depicts a yogi, probably Lord Shiva. A pair of horns crown his head. He is surrounded by a rhino, a buffalo, an elephant and a tiger. Under his throne are two deer. This seal shows that Shiva was worshipped and he was considered as the Lord of animals (Pashupati).
   
   The Unicorn Seal: The unicorn is a mythological animal. This seal shows that at a very early stage of civilization, humans had produced many creations of imagination in the shape of bird and animal motifs that survived in later art.
   
   The Bull Seal: This seal depicts a humped bull of great vigour. The figure shows the artistic skill and a good knowledge of animal anatomy.
4.  It is said that these seals were used by different associations or merchants for stamping purposes.
5. The Pashupati seal in which the three faced male god is shown seated in a yogic posture, surrounded by a rhino and a buffalo on the right, and an elephant and a tiger on the left, make the historians conclude that the people of those days worshipped Lord Shiva who is the Lord of the Beast (Pashupati) and the male principle of creation. Discovery of a large number of conical or cylindrical stones show that the people worshipped lingam, the symbol of Lord Shiva.
6. these seals indicates that harrapan trade was spread over vast area.
7. 
8. 

• Dancing girl

1. The bronze girl was made using the lost-wax casting technique and shows the expertise of the people in making bronze works during that time.
2. One of the rarest artefacts world-over, a unique blend of antiqueness and art indexing the lifestyle, taste and cultural excellence of a people in such remote past
3. This is one of 2 bronze art works found at Mohenjo-daro that show more flexible features when compared to other more formal poses
4. 

• Conclusion

The Indus Valley people gave to the world its earliest cities, its town planning, its architecture in stone and clay, and showed their concern for health and sanitation. They built a scientific drainage system in their cities.

There is enough evidence to show that some of the early conceptions of Hinduism are derived from this culture. On the whole, the present civilization is a composite product resulting from a fusion of several cultures where the contribution of the Indus Valley is of utmost importance.