Nature Communications (Nov 2017)

Counter-intuitive influence of Himalayan river morphodynamics on Indus Civilisation urban settlements

  • Ajit Singh,
  • Kristina J. Thomsen,
  • Rajiv Sinha,
  • Jan-Pieter Buylaert,
  • Andrew Carter,
  • Darren F. Mark,
  • Philippa J. Mason,
  • Alexander L. Densmore,
  • Andrew S. Murray,
  • Mayank Jain,
  • Debajyoti Paul,
  • Sanjeev Gupta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01643-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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The Bronze-age Indus civilisation (4.6–3.9 ka) was thought to have been linked to the development of water resources in the Himalayas. Here, the authors show that along the former course of the Sutlej River the Indus settlements developed along the abandoned river valley rather than an active Himalayan river.