Hello future people of the UK!
I鈥檇 like to show you what it鈥檚 like to live in the Ancient Indus Valley. One of the earliest civilisations, so we鈥檙e a long way back in time.
Back before the Vikings, before the Romans and keep going back, back, back until Stonehenge is being built - 4500 years ago.
Head South East over Europe and you鈥檒l see us just before India. You can鈥檛 miss us 鈥 we鈥檙e about 4 times the size of Britain!
Ah ha, you made it!
Hi I鈥檓 Suri鈥 I can鈥檛 wait to show you around our village.
We鈥檙e farmers by the way, and like all Indus people, we survive from what we can sell.
So today, Mum has made a special trip to sell our grain in the big city.
Hang on 鈥ut she won鈥檛 sell anything without these鈥 These are mum鈥檚 seals - I鈥檒l explain later but they鈥檙e really important. So I need to get them to her pronto.
Never mind the village 鈥 you鈥檙e getting the city tour instead!
Don鈥檛 be intimidated by the walls 鈥 They鈥檙e not to keep invaders out, they鈥檙e to keep water out.
We鈥檙e called Indus Valley people because we live 鈥 surprise, surprise - in the valley of the Indus River. It brings us all sorts of benefits, like farming, irrigation and travel, but it can be a bit of a bad neighbour and occasionally tries to wash us away鈥
And wait to you see inside 鈥 some cities are higgledy piggledy 鈥 not ours.
We built some of the first planned cities ever, so the sewers, the roads and the buildings all fit together in a grid system. And down the middle is a big wide straight street鈥
鈥ust wide enough, in fact, for two elephants to pass side-by-side.
You鈥檇 call it a 鈥榟igh street鈥 鈥 we were using the same idea 4500 years before you.
She鈥檚 got to be around here somewhere鈥
Hang on 鈥 that looks like my Uncle. He鈥檚 a builder, can鈥檛 you tell?
We don鈥檛 have stones around here so, just like you, we use bricks, all baked from clay.
They鈥檙e very durable, lasting for thousands of years, which is how your historians will find out about us.
So as you know, our houses have all the mod cons including personal wells and flushing toilets 鈥 we鈥檙e actually one of the first people in the world to have those.
Uncle, any idea where I can find Mum?
Second right, first left, got it.
Check this out! We鈥檙e really big gamers in the Indus Valley, and this one is so addictive that I bet you鈥檒l still be playing it in your time.
At last the market 鈥 I love it here!
They鈥檝e got clothes, toys鈥 And just look at this necklace.
In fact all our products are so great, that people come from miles away just to buy them, but money hasn鈥檛 been invented yet 鈥 we just trade things instead. It鈥檚 just like swapping things, but once the swap is made, it鈥檚 made for good.
But people don鈥檛 like to buy anything without one of these seals 鈥 Don鈥檛 worry if you can鈥檛 read it 鈥 no one from your time has figured out what it says yet.
They tell the buyer who made the goods. So they鈥檙e a bit like logos 鈥 would you ever buy a pair of trainers without the right logo?
Without our seals, mum won鈥檛 be able to sell our grain. So, yikes鈥
Now, which way was I supposed to be going again鈥?
Phew I鈥檓 back on main street, thank heavens for the grid system.
Let鈥檚 try again - Second right, first left.
Yes! There she is.
I think you鈥檒l be needing these?
Ah shucks, don鈥檛 mention it!
Wow, thanks mum - Pocket money!
Well that鈥檚 about it.
Our way of life is still a bit of mystery in your time. But needless to say, it didn鈥檛 last forever 鈥 the river here dried up and we were forced to move away.
And all this? Well 鈥 it鈥檒l be history.
Video summary
A young girl, Suri, goes to the city market to help out her mother, who has left her identification seals at home.
She introduces us to life in the ancient Indus Valley 4,500 years ago, where civilisation depends on farming and trade.
The importance of the Indus River is emphasised, both for farming and for travel, as well as the design of the city and its houses.
The city traded with other countries and cities, even though they did not use money.
Teacher Notes
Could be used to explore city planning and homes.
Would they have liked to live in this city? Why? Why not?
Pupils could compare the city to cities today, and explore the role of the Indus River in the growth of the civilisation.
In what ways was the river good for the area, and in what ways was it bad?
Could be used to explore the idea of trading without money.
How do you decide what a chicken is worth? What do you compare it to?
Pupils can compare and contrast Indus Valley barter and trade as it stands today.
This clip is relevant for teaching History at Key Stage 2 and Second Level.
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