Abstract

Weather and climate have been participating in an imperative function in both the expansion and crumple of mankind civilizations diagonally across the globe ever since the prehistoric eras. The Neolithic Mehrgarh (ca. 7000–2500 BC) and Balochistan and Indus Valley civilizations (ca. 2500–1500 BC), in Sindh Province in Pakistan, have been the spotlight of explorations to historians, anthropologists, and archeologists in terms of their origin, development, and collapse. However, very rare consideration has been given previously to the role of weather and climate, sanitation, and wastewater technologies in highlighting the lessons of these formerly well-developed ancient metropolitan civilizations. This study presents an existing climate of the archaeological sites, sanitation, and wastewater technologies to recognize the different elements that influenced the evolution of the civilization mystery. In addition, it is recommended that the weather and climate conditions in southwest Asia were the foremost controlling element in resolving the destiny of the Indus and Mehrgarh civilizations. Furthermore, the rural tradition was mostly adapted by the increasing rate of western depressions (winter rains), as well as monsoon precipitation in the region. The factors that affected the climate of both civilizations with the passage of time might be population growth, resource conflicts, technological advancement, industrial revolution, Aryan invasion, deforestation, migration, disasters, and sociocultural advancement. The communities residing in both civilizations had well developed agriculture, sanitation, water management, wells, baths, toilets, dockyards, and waterlogging systems and were the master of the water art.

Highlights

  • The Mehrgarh civilization was flourishing in the hilly areas and a plain strip of mountains in Balochistan during ca. 7000–2500 BC, with major archeological sites such as Kalli Gull Muhammad, Bolan Pass and Charsadda, Takht Bhai, and Udigram (Swat) in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

  • The archeao-botanical, drainage, cropping pattern, and artifacts of animals show that the climate of Balochistan during the Neolithic era was semiarid to sub-humid with an arid climate at the coastal belt

  • 2500–1500 BC) is arid, where the amount of precipitation is less than 255.0 mm; the archeological remains such as animals’ artifacts, vegetation cover, agriculture, drainage, and sanitation system indicate that there was an arid-to-semiarid climate condition during the Indus Valley era

Read more

Summary

Introduction

2500 BC, while the Egyptians and Minoans were constructing pyramids and palaces, the residents of the Indus civilization made burnt mud bricks for Pakistan’s earliest urban centers of Mehrgarh, Moen-Jo-Daro, Harappa, and Kot Diji. They built sturdy embankments to sustain wastewater out of their towns and assembled manmade land masses to elevate constructed areas above the water catastrophe level. Archaeologists have excavated more than 100 archaeological sites along the Indus River and its major sub-rivers in Pakistan, in which the major urban areas are Moen-Jo-Daro, Kalibangan, Dholavira, Harappa, Kot Dijji, and Lothal [2]. The most notable accomplishments of the people in the Indus Valley and Mehrgarh civilizations is their advanced urban planning. This study presents the existing climate of the archaeological sites, sanitation, and hydro-technologies to recognize the different elements that influenced the evolution of the civilization mystery

Study Area and Methodology
Mehrgarh and Indus
Findings
Physical
Climate
Waterlogging
Drainage
Wastewater and Sanitation Technologies
12. Great bath at at Moen-Jo-Daro
16. Well technology of the
Land Drainage Systems
Irrigation
19. Irrigation
Conclusions and Remarks
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call