WHY and HOW did the Indus civilisation fall?

The Indus Valley

Mystery

START

The Theories

Select a theory

Theory 2. Disease

Theory 1. Invasion and War

Theory 4.Trade

Bonus Theory!Did it even collapse at all?

Theory 3. Water: Drought, Flood and Rivers

Invasion and War

Could invaders have ransacked Indus cities?

The Conflicting Evidence

An Ancient Poem

The Bodies

Reproduction by permission of Oriental Museum, Durham University.

Trade

Did the sudden disruption of trade with Mesopotamia cause hardship?

What Happened?

A Transformation of Trade?

Possible Consequences

Reproduction by permission of Oriental Museum, Durham University.

Disease

Was there a catastrophic outbreak of disease?

How Do Archaeologists Study Disease?

Arguments Against Disease

Diseases and Epidemics

Water: Drought, Flood & Rivers

Did natural disasters and climate change force people to live differently?

Adapting to the Environment

Climate Change

Natural Disasters

Bonus

Did the Indus Civilisation really collapse?

Although many theories suggest that the Indus Civilisation had a sudden end, some archaeologists argue that we should not call this a 'collapse' because life likely continued as normal for the many people dwelling in smaller settlements and living agrarian lives. The hallmarks of Indus culture such as standardised weights and measures and the Indus script did not vanish overnight, but instead gradually faded. This points to a loss of communication between sites, meaning that people's worlds likely became smaller and more regional over time rather than the civilisation ending in a single disaster. Climate change, changes in trade and disease may have all played a role in this. Ultimately, Indus culture merged with the cultures around it, potentially influencing them in ways that archaeologists have yet to realise.