Posted in 8th of October 2014
Transcript[]
These days, the lands where India, Pakistan and Afghanistan converge are among the most fractious in the world. But thousands of years ago, these same lands were the site of one of the world’s first advanced urban civilizations. The Harappans built the first major cities in South Asia. They were masters of architecture and hydraulic engineering. Their urban sewage systems were far more advanced than anything the Romans could have dreamed of. And their writing system has still never been completely decoded.
Name: The Harappan Civilization
Continent: Asian Subcontinent
Time Period: 2600-1900 BCE
Succeeded/Conquered By: Unknown
Currently: India/Pakistan/Afghanistan
Much like their nearly indecipherable language, the Harappan left behind far more questions than answers. What we do know is that their wisdom and courage were unassailable; their understanding of human nature made them one of the most prosperous civilizations in history.
But if we could decipher the Harappan script (and maybe we can), we’d discover a highly advanced society with a pragmatic spirituality, bordering on the ruthless. A Harappan would scoff at our quaint notions of right and wrong, of good and evil. They would think of us as children – and they’d be right.