Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series

Narration Text

The Great Indus River runs from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. The Indus civilization, regarded as one of the four greatest ancient civilizations, was founded around 2500 B.C. This is the archaeological site of Moenjodaro in southern Pakistan. Along with Harappa located upstream this was the heartland of the Indus civilization. The remains of an ancient city pre-dating Buddhist history was discovered by chance in 1922, during the excavation of a partly revealed Stupa. After careful excavation it was revealed that this archaeological site was a wonderfully planned ancient city. Streets crossed at right angles and a network of narrow streets spread across the residential district. Water provision is one of the outstanding features of the Indus civilization. This used to be a well. The holes in the second floor walls were believed to have been used for waste disposal and drainage. The city had a complete water supply and sewage system. Sewage channels are arranged in line with the roads.

Seals have also been found on this site. It is believed they were used to wrap and mark items to be traded with distant Mesopotamia. Moenjodaro’s prosperity was founded on rich soil and flood water. However, water is now the greatest threat to the site. Salt erosion is causing damage. Salt water rises to the surface and onto the bricks. Strong sunshine crystallizes the salt and the bricks crumble.

The Pakistan Government started restoration of the bricks with support from UNESCO in 1972. Underground water is pumped out and diverted away from the site to lower the water table. Despite this, the water level still remains high and the site is still under threat. For the site at Moenjodaro: the battle against water continues from the time of the ancient Indus civilization.