Harappa

Harrappa

Harappa is one of the two main cities of Indus civilization. Harrappa was discovered first hence the Indus civilization was called Harrappan Culture. Harrappa is located in Punjab province of Pakistan near Sahiwal city and about 4 - 5 hours journey from Lahore.

Harrappa is situated at about 20 km (12 mi) west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the old course of the Ravi River, some 5 km (3 mi) southeast of the site.

The site contains the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city, which was part of the Cemetery H culture and the Indus Valley Civilization, centered in Sindh and the Punjab. The city is believed to have had as many as 23,500 people living which can be considered large population for that time.

In 2005 a controversial amusement park scheme at the site was abandoned when builders unearthed many archaeological artifacts during the early stages of construction work. A plea from the prominent Pakistani archaeologist Ahmed Hasan Dani to the Ministry of Culture resulted in a restoration of the site

The Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Culture has its earliest roots in cultures such as that of Mehrgarh, approximately 7000 BC & Kot DG & Aamri (3300BC). The two greatest cities, Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, emerged circa 2500 BC along the Indus River valley in Punjab and Sindh.

The civilization, with script of its own, urban centers, and diversified social and economic system, was rediscovered in the 1920s after excavations at Mohenjo-daro (which means "mound of the dead") in Sindh near Sukkur, and Harappa, in west Punjab south of Lahore. A number of other sites stretching from the Himalayan foothills in west Punjab, few sites in India in the north, to Gujarat in the south and east, and to Balochistan in the west have also been discovered and studied.

Although the archaeological site at Harappa was partially damaged in 1857 but the current state of Harrappa is somewhat sadly destructive