The Indus Valley Civilization (also known as Harappan
culture) has its earliest roots in cultures such as that of Mehrgarh,
approximately 6000 BCE. The two greatest cities, Mohenjo-daro and Harappa,
emerged circa 2600 BCE along the Indus River valley in Punjab and Sindh. The
civilization, with a writing system, urban centers, and diversified social and economic
system, was rediscovered in the 1920s after excavations at Mohenjo-daro (which
means "mound of the dead") in Sindh near Sukkur, and Harappa, in west
Punjab south of Lahore. A number of other sites stretching from the Himalayan
foothills in east Punjab, India
