Moenjo-daro

The name of Moenjo-daro is widely recognized as one of the most important early cities of the world. Moenjo-daro (Mound of the Dead) is located at a distance from Karachi.
Large-scale excavations were carried out at the site under the direction of John Marshall,  Ernest Mackay, and numerous other directors through the 1930s.
In the 1980s, extensive architectural documentation, combined with detailed surface surveys, surface scraping and probing was done by German and Italian survey teams led by Dr. Michael Jansen and Dr. Maurizio Tosi.
The most extensive recent work at the site has focused on attempts at the conservation of the standing structures undertaken by UNESCO in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology and Museums, as well as various foreign consultants.
Moenjo-daro is by far the largest of the Indus cities, extending over 250 hectares, with widespread mounds and outlying habitation areas. It is one of the best-preserved urban centres of the Indus Civilization (2600-1900 BCE). The buildings of Moenjo-daro are made of fired brick, though some structures do include mud brick and timbers.
The ancient city of Moenjo-daro was surrounded by a fertile flood plain suitable for seasonal agricultural and grazing land, abundant wild game and fish, as well as considerable wild plant resources.
Seal manufacturing workshops have been discovered in very restricted locations indicating strong control of production. The variety of raw materials at the site demonstrates the vast trading networks that linked the city to distant resource areas.
Unlike Mesopotamia or Egypt, the Indus elites did not erect stone sculptures to glorify their power, and depictions of warfare or conquered enemies are strikingly absent in representational art.
The Indus Valley people did not cremate their dead; they buried their dead. They were also meat eaters.
Male and female human figurines, as well as animal figurines, in Indus Valley sites were made of terracotta, bronze, faience or even shell. Different styles of ornaments and headdresses on the human figures suggest that many different classes and diverse ethnic communities inhabited the city.
The elite of the Indus cities can be distinguished by their use of carved stone seals having animal motifs and writing. They also wore ornaments, such as bangles and necklaces made of precious metals, rare materials, high-fired stoneware or glazed faience.