Reference
Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization
An archaeologist's lavishly illustrated account of the Harappan cities.
Early Agricultural Cultures
c. 7,000–2,600 BCE
Map layer: Civilizations & Archaeological Cultures
Farming villages from Mehrgarh to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures of Kashmir, the Deccan and the south.
Main polities of this period
| Name | Type | Span | Region | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mehrgarh Cultural Tradition ★ | Archaeological culture | c. 7,000–2,600 BCE | Northwest | Mehrgarh (Bolan Pass) |
| Neolithic Kashmir (Burzahom) | Archaeological culture | c. 3,000–1,500 BCE | North | Burzahom |
| South Indian Neolithic (Ash-mound cultures) | Archaeological culture | c. 3,000–1,200 BCE | South | Sanganakallu / Utnur |
Also existing during this period
Chalcolithic Cultures
Central · c. 3,000–700 BCE
Indus / Harappan Civilization
Northwest · c. 3,300–1,300 BCE
Events
| Year | Event | Polity |
|---|---|---|
| c. 7,000 BCE | Farming begins at Mehrgarh | Mehrgarh Cultural Tradition |
| c. 5,500 BCE | Pottery appears at Mehrgarh | Mehrgarh Cultural Tradition |
| c. 5,000 BCE | Earliest cotton and copper at Mehrgarh | Mehrgarh Cultural Tradition |
| c. 4,000 BCE | Hakra-ware villages at Bhirrana and Kunal | |
| c. 3,300 BCE | Early Harappan phase begins | Early Harappan Cultures |
| c. 3,000 BCE | Neolithic pit-dwellings at Burzahom | Neolithic Kashmir (Burzahom) |
| c. 2,900 BCE | Ash mounds of the southern Neolithic | South Indian Neolithic (Ash-mound cultures) |
| c. 2,600 BCE | Mature Harappan urban phase begins | Indus / Harappan Civilization |
📚 Recommended reading for this era
Popular history
Early Indians
A lively look at who the first Indians were, drawing on genetics and archaeology.
Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Textbook
India's Ancient Past
The expanded version of the classic old-NCERT ancient India text; clear and exam-friendly.
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