Final answer:
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were well-planned cities with advanced urban layouts, drainage systems, and evidence of significant trade and commerce. They had residential and public structures with indoor plumbing, a rich spiritual life, and technology spread across a large geographic area. Environmental degradation contributed to their decline around 1700 BCE.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characteristics of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
The ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are significant archaeological sites that offer a glimpse into early urban life in the Indus Valley. These cities were marked by several hallmark characteristics, including a sophisticated urban layout with a planned grid of well-laid-out streets, a unique structural organization, and advanced urban planning with impressive drainage systems. Alongside these urban features, the economic life of these cities was dynamic, featuring intricate cooking vessels and standardized weights and measures, indicative of trade and commerce. The presence of residential quarters equipped with wells and bathrooms, public bathhouses, and large protective walls and citadels further demonstrate the cities' development.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had a high degree of labor specialization, with distinct industrial areas hosting workshops for artisans and laborers. These cities' technological advancement was apparent in the orderly streets, distinctive oven-baked bricks, and indoor plumbing in homes. In addition to economic prosperity, there was a rich spiritual life, symbolized in part by altars, ceremonial baths, and religious iconography. However, despite the absence of evidence pointing to centralized monarchic rule, the spread of this culture and technology across a wide geographic area suggests some form of organization and coordination, potentially in the form of a hierarchical class system overseen by religious specialists.
Ultimately, environmental degradation, including soil salinization and deforestation, likely contributed to the decline of these urban centers around 1700 BCE, leading to abandonment as they became unsustainable.