The provided sources offer a comprehensive overview of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), a Bronze Age superpower that was largely unknown until the 1920s. They explain its unprecedented geographical scale, encompassing a vast network of over 1,500 settlements and thriving for nearly a millennium (c. 2600–1900 BCE) across diverse ecosystems. The text highlights the IVC's extraordinary urban planning, characterized by grid-planned cities with sophisticated sanitation systems, and its robust economy, supported by advanced agriculture, metallurgy, and extensive trade networks, all regulated by a standardized system of weights and measures. Furthermore, the sources explore the enigmas of the IVC, including its undeciphered script, the inferences drawn about its religion (like a Mother Goddess cult and a "proto-Shiva"), and its unique governance structure that lacked traditional markers of kingship. Finally, the decline of the IVC, largely attributed to climate change and the drying of key river systems, is discussed, along with its enduring legacy that influenced later South Asian culture, technology, and religious practices.

Research done with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented by two AI-generated hosts.