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History glossary

Harappan

relating to the Indus Valley civilisation, named after the city of Harappa.

Category
Civilization term
Region
Modern Pakistan and northwest India
Date range
especially c. 3300-1300 BCE

What it means

Harappan is a name archaeologists use for the Indus Valley civilisation because Harappa was one of the first major sites excavated. It can describe the civilisation as a whole, its people, or cultural phases and objects connected with that Indus world.

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