Canadian Archaeologists Excavate Ancient Nubia (Sudan)

The ancient Nubians may very well have been as wealthy or wealthier (and almost as powerful) as their Nile neighbors to the north. However, the civilization of the Nubians is still somewhat of a mystery. We have not deciphered their script yet, and until that happens the mystery will grow as archaeologists continue to uncover the remnants of this "other" great Nile civilization.

Check out this article about a Canadian archeologist's work in Sudan on excavating and discovering the secrets of the Kingdom of Kush.

Mohenjo-Daro - Decline and Legacy

Mysteries of Mohenjo-Daro


Actually, Mohenjo-Daro is one big mystery. Much of what we know (or think we know) about them is speculative, based solely on the artifacts and ruins of Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and dozens of other sites found in the Indus River Valley.

One mystery will possibly never be explained - the fate of the people of Mohenjo-Daro. The ruins of the city were discovered under layers of silt during the construction of a railroad. The city also had several layers to it indicating that it had been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times, probably because of severe flooding from the Indus River. As a result, one theory of the decline of Mohenjo-Daro is that the people simply decided to leave because of frequent floods.

Another theory is that the Indus River moved. We know that it moved; it’s currently several miles from the site of Mohenjo-Daro. Some speculate that a severe tectonic event (earthquake) caused the river to drastically change course. It would not be out of the realm of possibility that the people of Mohenjo-Daro would take such an event, if it indeed occurred, to be a sign from the gods to leave.

Yet another possibility is that the people of Mohenjo-Daro were conquered and / or driven out of the area by another group of people, possibly the Aryans.

Mohenjo-Daro’s Legacy

Whatever happened to the people of Mohenjo-Daro, they left us with clues to our human past. They were prosperous, intelligent, and had a culture unique yet similar to many others before or since. As archaeological and anthropological work continues in the Indus River Valley and around the world, the potential is alive to discover much more about the people and how they lived. Until the mysteries are solved, we can just continue to analyze the clues they left us and wonder.

Mohenjo-Daro - Trade, Culture, and Government

Trade and Links to Mesopotamia

The people of Mohenjo-Daro were actively engaged in trade with other people of the Indus River Valley and with Mesopotamian civilization. Standardized weights, measures, and scales found in Mohenjo-Daro are evidence that the citizens had an organized system of trade. It is reasonable to assume also that services – construction, artisan, etc – were traded as well as goods.

The Ancient City of Mohenjo-Daro

In modern-day Pakistan is a site that was once home to as many as 30,000 people of the Indus Valley civilization. We know it as Mohenjo-Daro.  In English, the name means "Mound of the Dead." The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro are a window into the mysterious civilization of the Indus Valley people. We know they were advanced. They had running water, a below ground sewer system, and possibly a forerunner to the modern bank. We will see (or read) just how much the people of Mohenjo-Daro lived like us as we discuss the ruins of their city.