Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300 – 1300 BCE)

The Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300–1300 BCE) was one of the ancient world's most advanced societies, flourishing in modern-day Pakistan and northwest India. Known for its meticulously planned cities like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, it featured standardized brick construction, sophisticated drainage systems, and early forms of urban sanitation. This Bronze Age culture developed undeciphered writing, traded across Mesopotamia, and demonstrated remarkable social organization without evidence of warfare. Its technological innovations in metallurgy and civic planning influenced subsequent South Asian cultures while remaining one of history's most enigmatic civilizations due to its mysterious decline.