Was Indus Valley older than Egypt? Proof of 8000-year civilisation sparks debate

Recent excavations and findings in Haryana related to the Indus Valley Civilisation have sparked fresh curiosity. The discoveries by the Archaeological Survey of India could reshape established historical timelines, as the presence of materials dating to a period before Egypt's first pharaohs may elevate the importance of the IVC in understanding early human history.

For generations, the story of the ancient world seemed settled. Mesopotamia rose first, followed by Egypt with its pyramids and pharaohs, and alongside them stood the Indus Valley Civilisation. But what if that order was wrong? What if one of humanity’s earliest urban societies began thousands of years earlier than believed, even before Egypt’s first pharaoh ruled the Nile?

Archaeologists studying the site of Bhirrana, in present-day Haryana, say the roots of the Indus Valley Civilisation may go back nearly 8,000 years.

Using radiocarbon dating on pottery fragments and animal remains, researchers from the Archaeological Survey of India and other institutions found evidence of human settlement dating far earlier than the civilisation’s previously accepted timeline of around 2600 BC.

If confirmed, these findings could place the beginnings of the Indus civilisation well before the rise of ancient Egypt’s dynasties, which began around 3100 BC.

The Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as the Harappan civilisation, once stretched across large parts of modern-day Pakistan and north-west India. Cities such as Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Dholavira and Rakhigarhi reveal a society that was highly organised.

Archaeologists found streets built in grid patterns, covered drainage systems and houses with wells and bathing areas. These features suggest careful urban planning. Some buildings had multiple stories, while large granaries point to organised food storage.