The Harappan civilization of the Indus and Sarasvati river valleys was among the world's first urban societies, renowned for planned cities, standardized weights, and a yet-undeciphered script.
The Indus Valley Civilisation collapsed gradually between c. 1900 and 1700 BCE due to a combination of climate change, prolonged drought, and river course shifts, with urban centres abandoned and populations dispersing eastward toward the Ganges plain; no single successor state emerged.
Classic archaeological synthesis by the scholar who defined modern understanding of Harappan urbanism.
Authoritative modern account integrating decades of excavation at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.