Archaeology and the Indus
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe some of the archaeological finds uncovered at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Key learning points
- Following Harappa's discovery in 1921, another major site was excavated in 1922 at Mohenjo-Daro.
- They uncovered huge numbers of clay seals, covered in writing and images, along with many pieces of broken pottery.
- They also discovered large stone circles on which they think the Indus people threshed their crops.
- They also found whistles and figures of dancing women as well as clay toys and figurines.
- From these discoveries archaeologists have worked out that the Indus Valley Civilisation was very large and complex.
Keywords
Harappa - Harappa was the first Indus Valley civilisation site to be excavated
Mohenjo-Daro - Mohenjo-Daro was the second Indus Valley civilisation site to be excavated
Indus Valley civilisation - the people who lived in the Indus Valley in ancient times are known as the Indus Valley civilisation
Threshing - the act of separating the parts of a crop that can be eaten from the parts that can't is called threshing
Seal - a seal is a decorated object that is pushed into a soft material like wet clay or wax in order to leave an imprint of its design
Common misconception
Archaeologists and historians always know exactly what discovered items were used for in the past.
Archaeologists and historians have to make guesses about what the discovered items were used for in the past, using their knowledge and other objects to help them.
Teacher tip
Pupils could design their own seals to represent themselves and make them. They could then use these seals to see how they imprint onto paper, just like in the Indus Valley civilisation.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The River Indus is a powerful river that flows through India and...
Q2.A flat area of land where a river flows between hills or mountains is called a...
Q3.Other ancient civilisations have started around which rivers?
Q4.Historians think that people started to farm the fertile land around the River Indus...
Q5.In 1921 an archaeological dig began at a place called Harappa on the banks of the River...
Q6.In the ancient city of Harappa, archaeologists have found the ruins of...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The first Indus Valley civilisation city found was at...
Q2.Which city was once the largest city of the Indus Valley civilisation?
Q3.Match the discovery at Mohenjo-Daro to the possible explanation.
crop threshing
protection from flood water
to show who items belonged to when they were sold
Q4.What were the pictures on clay seals usually of?
Q5.Historians can read the writing from the Indus Valley civilisation.
Q6.Select the items that have been found in the Indus Valley at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: Archaeology and the Indus, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: Archaeology and the Indus, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the The Indus Valley civilisation: What have archaeologists found out about it? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.