Indus Civilization
What ancient civilization is the main subject of Lost in Time?
The Indus civilization.
What are artifacts?
Objects made or used by people in the past, such as pottery, toys, or jewelry.
What natural disaster threatened the Indus cities?
Flooding from nearby rivers.
What two rivers were important to the Indus civilization?
The Indus and Hakra rivers.
What do archaeologists study to learn about ancient people?
Artifacts and ancient sites, including objects and buildings left behind.
In what modern-day country were the ruins of Harappa discovered?
Pakistan.
What does the word utilized mean?
Used or put to use.
How did farmers benefit from the silt carried by floods?
Silt made the soil fertile and helped crops grow.
What did the Indus people grow to make thread and cloth?
Cotton.
Why were rivers important to the growth of the Indus civilization?
Rivers supplied water and fertile soil, supporting farming and the growth of settlements.
What two major cities did archaeologists study in the Indus Valley?
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
What does the word inscription mean?
Writing or symbols carved or marked onto a surface.
What did Indus people do to protect themselves from floods?
They moved to higher ground and built walls around citadels; some buildings stood on raised platforms.
What were the upper, walled areas of Indus cities called?
Citadels.
What can we infer about Indus city planners from the similar designs of their cities?
They likely communicated and shared ideas to organize cities in similar ways.
Who discovered a mysterious inscribed stone at Harappa in the 1870s?
Alexander Cunningham.
What does communal mean in the phrase communal life?
Shared by or relating to a community.
What happened to ancient bricks at Harappa when railroad workers needed building materials?
Workers took bricks from the ruins to build a railroad, damaging the archaeological site.
Name two features that show Indus cities had advanced planning.
Examples: straight streets in a grid, bathrooms, running water, sanitation systems, or standardized measurements.
How does the author support the idea that Indus civilization was advanced? Give two examples.
The author describes planned streets, advanced sanitation, bathrooms with running water, and standard weights and measures. Any two supported examples are acceptable.
Why did the Indus civilization disappear around 1900–1700 BCE?
The exact cause is unknown. Possible causes include major flooding or rivers drying up or changing course.
What does derived mean when the author says income can be derived from different skills?
Obtained or gained from a source.
Why is the Indus writing system still a problem for archaeologists, and what would solving it help them understand?
Archaeologists cannot decipher the inscriptions on seals. Understanding the writing could reveal more about Indus society, trade, and culture.
What evidence suggests that Indus people traded with other regions?
Indus seals have been discovered in Mesopotamia, central Asia, and places along the Persian Gulf.
Explain one major problem archaeologists face in understanding Indus civilization. Support your response with two details.
Archaeologists have incomplete evidence. Railroad workers removed bricks from Harappa, destroying parts of the site, and the writing on Indus seals has not been deciphered. Both make understanding the civilization difficult.