Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology: Indus Valley Civilization
The archaeological remains at various sites of the Indus Valley Civilization allow us to know about its technological progress. The key scientific developments and achievements by Indus Valley people include:
Architecture and Civil Engineering
The well planned urban centers based on definite layout pattern with scientific roads; drainage system (with use of corbel technique); public structures (like granaries and great bath) were much ahead of times and precursor to the modern concept of architecture and civil engineering. They built world’s first tidal port at the head of Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat at Lothal. This proves their high degree of knowledge with respect to ebb and flow of tides. Some of the houses had private bathrooms with pottery pipes in walls which allowed drainage of water. In some cases there was a provision of a crib for sitting in toilets.
Irrigation System
Though the cities were located on banks of rivers yet they had an innovative irrigation system that led them achieve size and prosperity. The irrigation system involved artificial reservoirs (such as Girnar) and early canal systems.
Weights, Measurement and Metallurgy
Indus valley civilization was technically very much developed and possessed good knowledge of metallurgy and used standardized burnt bricks, accurate weights, and cotton. There was a standardized system of weights and measurements along with calibration in multiple subdivisions. They used Gold, Silver, Copper, Lapis Lazuli , Turquoise, Amethyst, Alabaster, jade etc.
Pottery and Bead Making
Indus Valley people were familiar with use of wheel drawn potteries. Painting and glazing of potteries was also known. They had knowledge of using lime as plaster (e.g., great bath, dockyard). They used pyro-technology for heating lime. Indus Valley people manufactured ‘faience’ by heating silica up to 1200 C.
They had good knowledge of furnaces (for manufacturing potteries, bricks) and were experts in bead making. In fact they knew the art of cutting, drilling, polishing of bead. Further, Mehrgarh shows evidences of tools with local copper ore, containers made with bitumen, domestication of plants and animals and tanning.
Medical Science
It was announced in Journal Nature in April 2006 that oldest evidence in human history for the drilling of tooth in vivo, that is, in a living person, was found in Mehrgarh around 7000 BC. This tooth drilling involved curing tooth-related disorders with drills operated by skilled bead craftsmen. This is the glaring example of proto-dentistry. They were also conversant with the medical sciences and used various herbs and drugs to treat diseases. The people of Indus valley Civilization practiced Trephination which is kind of medical intervention making a burr hole in the skull to treat migraines and mental disorders.
The evidences of Trephination have been found at Lothal, Kalibangan and Burzahom but not at Harappa or most other sites.
Mathematics
The Harappan civilization was the womb of mathematics from where both the concept of numbers and the numerical system originated. The numerical system developed by the Harappan included symbols for most numbers and several innovations for mathematical manipulations such as addition and multiplication.
The Harappan numerical system is decimal and additive multiplicative in usage. There are symbols for numerical for 4 to 100, 1000 and their derivatives. The numerical system which was first used by the Harappan later found its way into other ancient civilization.
