Mohenjo-daro was remarkably hygienic for an early city, with many houses featuring baths and toilet-like structures. Houses had drainage outlets leading to gutters, and terracotta pipes and chutes were used to expel waste. Drains below the streets were large enough for workers to access and maintain. Harappa had similar features, with populations estimated at 35 000 for Harappa and 30 000 for Mohenjo-daro. 6.4.3 The end of a civilisation The end of the Indus Valley Civilisation remains a mystery, but historians have proposed some hypotheses. Initially, it was believed that the Aryan invasion (see lesson 6.5) caused its end, but this theory is now largely dismissed, as the cities were abandoned before the invasion and no evidence of warfare has been found. The region is earthquake-prone and has experienced signiýcant þooding, with evidence suggesting that Mohenjo-daro was rebuilt at least seven times. Most recently and notably, the disastrous þoods of 2010 (see SOURCE10 ) threatened the site, although fortunately, the þoodwaters did not reach it. People gradually left these cities, but their traditions and culture survived. Even today, some pottery styles in the Indus Valley are similar to those of the ancient civilisation. The Indus Valley Civilisation may not have ended; its culture likely blended into the diverse array of cultures in the Indian subcontinent.
SOURCE9 The Indus River
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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