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Question: What were some of the environmental factors of the Indus River Valley!?!?
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Positives: Obviously, they had the Indus River to use for growing food & for piping into the cities!. They had fertile soil, although they had to deal with a clay soil, which compacts easily!. At the same time, the clay was great for making bricks!. They also made mud-brick platforms to lift the houses above the flood level!. And flooding is used to irrigate rice!. They had a location that was along the trade routes!.

Negatives: The river flooded regularly, some yrs worse than others!. Some people speculate that people became too discouraged by the floods, which may have been suddenly a worse than usual disaster!.

Others speculate that the success of their society may have been its downfall!. That is, they simply wore out the soil trying to grow food for so many people!. (I find it hard to believe, though, that they wouldn't have been continually building up the soil with manure, since they had cattle!. They probably used that manure, as well as compost & hay to help break up the clay soil!.)

Finally, the location that was great for being on the trade route may have been disastrous for being right in the path of invaders!. They may have been wiped out just too many times!.

Your interpretation of their downfall may depend on whether you think the ruins showed a gradually declining society or if you think the ruins indicate a sudden departure due to a calamity!. The pictures & discussion of the ruins with their planned streets & indoor plumbing certainly leave something fascinating for archaeologists!.

Perhaps someday we will find something written during that time period that explains why the society collapsed or perhaps just up & moved!.

Added comment: In the Hindu religion, the downfall might be explained by the ages of mankind!. Society reaches peaks & then goes into decline!. Karma also plays a role!. That is, every action of humans brings its consequences!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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