Civilisation

Indus cities: the Mature Harappan phase

c. 2,600 BCE – 1,900 BCE

Harappa and other Indus settlements developed extensive urban systems. Earlier regional communities preceded this phase, and settlement histories continued afterwards.

Mature Harappan urban phase

Dates describe the Mature Harappan phase, not the entire Indus tradition.

Harappa excavations · Settlement phases

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Why it matters

Egypt and Mesopotamia were only part of a wider landscape of ancient urban life.

Remember this

Harappa, Giza and Caral: remember several urban worlds in the third millennium BCE.

Place it in context · 2 connected stories

Compare the whole dated phase. Overlap shows shared time; it does not establish contact or cause.

Overlapping in time

Great Pyramid of Khufu

c. 2,550 BCE

Khufu’s pyramid date sits inside this urban phase.

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Caral-Supe: cities in the ancient Andes

c. 3,000 BCE – 1,800 BCE · Caral civilisation · approximate span

Another urban tradition across the Pacific.

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and other Indus settlements developed extensive urban systems. Earlier regional communities preceded this phase, and settlement histories continued afterwards.

Part of the Bronze Age (Near East) era

Open Era

Regions

India

The Indus Valley, Vedic age, Mauryan and Mughal empires, and a civilisation of extraordinary continuity.

At a Glance

Datec. 2,600 BCE – 1,900 BCE

ScaleCivilisation

Importance8/10

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Historical Guide

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