The civilization emerged in about 2600 BC. It flourished for about 700 years. It covered the largest area of civilization until Persia rose 1,000 years later. Archaeologists believe that there were 2 main cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Both were very large. Most people living in the Indus civilization were farmers. Others were merchants and traders.

They had ships that carried cargoes of things like ivory to distant places. The people of the Indus civilization also developed their own form of writing. Most people believe that they were polytheistic, and they thought of some animals as sacred. For a reason unknown today, in around 1900 BC, the Indus civilization declined.

The Indus River Valley Civilization