EnvironmentSouth Asia

The Indus cities are abandoned

1,901 BCE

No war, no fire — just people leaving

In depth

The old explanation of "Aryan invasions" has been abandoned; there is no archaeological trace of one. Instead sediments and satellite mapping point to the Ghaggar-Hakra system drying and the monsoon weakening over several centuries. The cities were not destroyed — they became impractical. The population dispersed eastwards towards the Ganges, where a new civilisation grew.

For children

The largest cities in the world of their day emptied within a few generations. There is no trace of conquest or destruction. Most likely a weakening monsoon and a river that changed course — people moved to where the water was.

Connects to

The Indus Valley civilisation2,601 BCE
The Indus script2,601 BCE – 1,901 BCE
The Vedas1,501 BCE – 1,001 BCE

Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org