A simulation of the Neolithic transition in the Indus valley

TL;DR

This paper uses numerical simulation to explore the rise of the Indus Valley Civilization, focusing on agriculture, population, and technology development from 7000 to 3000 BC, providing insights into its emergence and decline.

Contribution

It introduces a global land use and technological evolution simulator to model the emergence of the IVC, addressing gaps in archaeological chronology and regional development.

Findings

Simulated agricultural transition aligns with radiocarbon dates.

Agriculture first develops in India, then Pakistan.

Positive correlation between artifact richness and population density.

Abstract

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was one of the first great civilizations in prehistory. This bronze age civilization flourished from the end of the fourth millennium BC. It disintegrated during the second millennium BC; despite much research effort, this decline is not well understood. Less research has been devoted to the emergence of the IVC, which shows continuous cultural precursors since at least the seventh millennium BC. To understand the decline, we believe it is necessary to investigate the rise of the IVC, i.e., the establishment of agriculture and livestock, dense populations and technological developments 7000--3000 BC. Although much archaeological information is available, our capability to investigate the system is hindered by poorly resolved chronology, and by a lack of field work in the intermediate areas between the Indus valley and Mesopotamia. We thus employ a complementary numerical simulation to develop a consistent picture of technology, agropastoralism and population developments in the IVC domain. Results from this Global Land Use and technological Evolution Simulator show that there is (1) fair agreement between the simulated timing of the agricultural transition and radiocarbon dates from early agricultural sites, but the transition is simulated first in India then Pakistan; (2) an independent agropastoralism developing on the Indian subcontinent; and (3) a positive relationship between archeological artifact richness and simulated population density which remains to be quantified.