When people list great civilizations of the past, they’ll often list the Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt, the Maya, the Incas, the Vikings, Mongols, and so on. Rarely do you hear much about the Indus-Valley civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization.
From around 3300 BC to 1300 BC, the Harappan people were some of the most advanced people in the world. In fact, many of their innovations were not rediscovered again for many generations. They were an amazing people who did some remarkable things.
10. They Mastered Flush Toilets
Toilets have a long and awful history. Their use and innovations have had many ups and downs. What you can be assured of is that the toilet was 100% not invented by a man named Thomas Crapper, Europeans did spend a long time using chamber pots, and the Indus-Valley civilization, thousands of years ago, had toilets that could flush and some fairly advanced plumbing and sanitation that would not be seen again anywhere in the world for many years.
The level of sophistication that they employed was not seen again for over two thousand years when the Romans developed their own plumbing. Cities like Mohenjo-daro drew water from upwards of 700 wells. This provided homes with running water and even bathhouses throughout the town. All houses in the capital of Harappa had toilets connected to a public sewer system.
9. They Had Rudimentary Air Conditioning
Sanitation was far from the only advanced comfort of the Indus people. They had also developed an early and rudimentary form of air conditioning to keep themselves cool on those balmy days. Many homes had what were known as wind catchers installed.
Still used in Iran today, wind catchers are essentially large stone chimneys. These pillars would rise above homes and redirect any breezes down through stone chambers into the homes below. Research has shown that a wind catcher can reduce the temperature in a home by as much as 10 degrees Celsius. On a hot day, that could mean going from 104 degrees Fahrenheit, all the way down to 86 degrees. Still a warm day, but not nearly as stifling.
8. The Indus Script Remains Undeciphered
Although the Indus people are long gone, we still do have a few relics of their civilization. From unearthed remains of great cities, we have also discovered the Indus script. Like other ancient languages, this one seems to be made up of symbols that represent thoughts or ideas, but there is no consensus on how simple or complex they may be. Does the script represent a proper language? Or are the symbols just showing general ideas? No one can say for sure.
Thousands of inscriptions have been unearthed, and they are all typically very short. Most are four or five symbols long. Not a single one has ever been translated. No one can even agree if it evolved into another modern language, either. Those who claim to have descended from the Indus Valley people can and sometimes do violently oppose any research that suggests their language did not evolve from this undeciphered one. There have been threats made against researchers in the past.
Many scholars have tried to decipher the language over the years, but none of their attempts have been able to account for a full and reasonable translation. Some have been led to propose that the script is not a language at all. They believe the symbols are emblems and have general meanings, but not anything as precise and specific as a codified language.
7. They Really Liked Unicorns
Certain civilizations seemed to have been linked to certain mythological beasts in history; the kinds of creatures that we associated with the mythology of the people or the time. The minotaur is linked to Ancient Greece, and Chinese culture is replete with dragons. When you think of Ireland, you probably imagine leprechauns and fairies. For the Indus people, it was unicorns.
In many of the seals and symbols that have been uncovered in the area, unicorns are a common motif. They are the most common, in fact.
It has been speculated that the creature depicted in the Indus images is a nilgai. That’s a kind of Asian antelope that is also known as a blue cow. But in real life, those animals have two horns. So the ones depicted by the Indus people, with their single horn, are very possibly a mythological version of the same creature and therefore in the same boat as a unicorn.
The significance of the unicorn is not fully known. This is a result of the language issue. What any of the seals or inscriptions depicting unicorns say is still undecipherable, but since many of them also depict trees and plants, it may have something to do with harvests, farming, fertility, or associated themes. Until the script is deciphered, we’ll never know for sure.
6. They Invented Buttons
The button is one of the most ubiquitous and underappreciated things in the world. Everyone has buttons on coats and pants and sweaters, but rarely do we consider their origins. Like all things in the world, however, the button did have a beginning. That beginning was in the Indus Valley.
If you head back to around 2000 BC, the first buttons ever discovered were in the Indus Valley. Archaeologists discovered ones made from curved shells. They were used as ornaments on the clothing of people who were either wealthy or of an important social status. Essentially, it was a very old-school way to flex your social position and wealth.
Buttons were drilled, because they did have primitive drills at the time, and attached to clothing with thread. They were also applied in geometric patterns, so something more like rhinestones or sequins in terms of their function. As a fastener for clothes, it was not used for some years.
5. They May Have Invented Dice Games
Any fan of tabletop gaming likely has a collection of dice that they use and are oddly proud of. Fans of craps or Yahtzee probably have a few extra dice around the house as well. The Indus Valley may have been where all of that started.
Excavations of the city of Harappa turned up a six-sided cubical die. It had dots on every side from one to six and looked for all the world like any die you would find in a modern board game. The only difference is how the dots are laid out. On a modern die, opposite sides always add up to 7. So the 6 dots are opposite the 1, the 5 is opposite 2, and the 4 is opposite 3. On the Indus die, 1 is opposite 2, 3 is opposite 4, and so on. Many additional dice were found in the city of Mohenjo-daro.
The dice seemed to have been used in pairs, and examples found together were precisely the same size. That means they were clearly designed with some skill and effort.
4. They Had the World’s Oldest Public Pool
There are over 300,000 public pools in the US alone. People just really dig swimming and they’ll take it any way they can get it. This is definitely not unique to modern times. The Indus Valley city of Mohenjo-daro was home to the world’s oldest public pool.
Known as the Great Bath, the pool dates back around 5,000 years. It wouldn’t be all that impressive by modern standards, the pool only measured about 39 feet by 23 feet. It was also under eight feet deep. The fact they could have constructed a waterproof tank to hold it was impressive on its own, but so is the fact it’s been extremely well preserved after all this time.
Today the pool is a World Heritage Site, but it’s still not fully known what the purpose of the pool may have been. Of course, it could have just been for leisure time swimming, but it’s part of a larger citadel. The pool may have had a purpose in religious ceremonies of some kind. It’s possible the building was even a home for priests who used the bath.
3. They Had Advanced Dentistry
Few people are more hated in the modern world than the dentist. We all need to go to a dentist at one time or another, we all understand the importance, and they never seem to be all that cruel or malicious. Nonetheless, people hate them. The dentist is an objectionable experience that makes you feel awkward and judged and often results in mild discomfort at best and pain at worst. Now try to imagine the very first dentists in the Indus Valley civilization and how well-regarded they must have been.
The dental drill, the most feared of all dental tools, was an innovation of the Indus Valley. They could drill holes in beads and buttons, and this technology was carried over to the science of dentistry. The drill itself would have been a primitive bow drill and the dentist was likely a bead craftsman.
Eleven teeth belonging to nine individuals dating back somewhere between 7,500 and 9,000 years show evidence of drilling. Because of the wear on the teeth and the drill holes archaeologists were able to determine that the teeth were not drilled after death, this was a procedure done to a living patient who continued to use their teeth afterward.
Whether the procedure helped fix any cavities or whether they had any kind of effective anesthetic is not known.
2. Their Disappearance is a Mystery
One of the most incredible things about the Indus Valley Civilization is the fact that it ended and no one knows why. Most great civilizations leave behind a good deal of historical evidence and records of their rise and fall. This didn’t happen for the Indus people.
It wasn’t until 1920 that the city of Harappa was first uncovered and we began to learn about the civilization and its incredible advancements. And while we know how long they lasted in the world from about 3300 BC to 1300 BC, what caused the end of such a remarkable civilization is obscured.
There are plenty of guesses as to what happened, of course. There is evidence that space was becoming an increasing concern. Homes were built on top of homes. Trade routes to Mesopotamia were likely suffering as well, thanks to upheaval in that part of the world.
Other possibilities include war or natural disaster. One of the most widely accepted beliefs is that a changing world is what brought an end to the civilization. Climate and geography both changed over the years. The Indus River may have changed course and led to extensive flooding. Since the river was life not just in terms of providing water but also trade, it would have been devastating.
Other rivers may have dried up at the same time and that cou;d have led to widespread disease and famine. The people of the Indus Valley would have had to migrate elsewhere or die.
1. They Had No Weapons or Army
One of the theories about how the Indus Valley Civilization disappeared is that they were invaded by a foreign army. This idea is generally not accepted, and the archaeological evidence found so far does back this up. As near as we can figure, the Indus people did not have an army.
There seems to be no evidence of a standing army in the entire civilization. No weapons were left behind, no armor, and no real signs of major conflict at all. The only depiction of battle that has been found in imagery shows a mythological scene with a goat-horned person with a tiger’s body.
While there did seem to be levels of wealth or notoriety in the Indus society, there was no King or royalty above the other people. There were no palaces, nor were there images of kings or emperors that we know of.
The society seems to have been one of widespread equality. There were no poor slums and opulent homes, all living places looked nearly identical. All citizens seemed to have the same opportunities and the same levels of comfort. It’s no wonder many modern thinkers have likened it to a Utopia.
]]>Many locations around the world are home to mysterious legends, tales of ghosts, and even sightings of UFOs. However, New York’s Hudson Valley is undoubtedly one location that contains these strange accounts in abundance. And what’s more, these range from sightings of UFOs to Bigfoot and even the existence of ancient portals. Here are ten incidents that truly make the Hudson Valley one of the most fascinating and mysterious places on Earth.
Related: 10 Truly Unbelievable Claims Of UFO And Alien Encounters
10 The 1980s UFO Wave
Perhaps the best place to start would be the UFO wave that took over the Hudson Valley in the early-to-mid-1980s. Many of the sightings of these strange otherworldly crafts were often seen up-close, with the objects in question passing over highways or housing developments at an extremely low altitude. What’s more, most of them featured multiple witnesses.
A typical sighting, for example, would often see motorists pulling their cars to the side of a normally busy highway. Their occupants would then often leave their vehicles to stare upward at the aerial show taking place above them.
Quite often, the crafts were a distinct triangle shape. This, in recent years, has led some researchers to speculate that the sightings were not those of alien spaceships but of secret military vehicles. As we shall see later in our list, these sightings continued long after the actual wave ceased, albeit they were fewer and far between.[1]
9 The Pine Bush UFO Connection
Shortly after the UFO wave of the 1980s began to die down, a similar wave of strange sightings unfolded in the Pine Bush region in the early 1990s. And while the sightings of the 1980s were largely of strange craft in the skies, reports of anything from bizarre animals to disappearing entities surfaced from the Pine Bush region during this time.
Many paranormal researchers descended on the area. And with them came a multitude of theories and claims. For example, some believed that portals existed in the region, and these were responsible for the UFOs and strange beings that were being reported. There were even many claims of alien abduction taking place during this time. And the more the reports of strange activities surfaced, the more people with interest in such events arrived in Pine Bush in an attempt to see them for themselves.
Perhaps some of the more outlandish claims were that the area was “an exact replica” of the Cydonia region of Mars. Furthermore, this was the reason for the wave of strange activity. The sightings in the region continue today, but with much less intensity.[2]
8 The Crushing Ghost Of Room 4714
Without a doubt, one of the most unnerving encounters to come out of the Hudson Valley is the strange and menacing entity in Room 4714. The chilling events took place in October 1972 at the then Scott Barracks at West Point, one of the most well-known military academies in the United States. It was also officially documented in one of the internal newsletters of the base.
Several of the cadets began to experience spooky goings-on. These included the moving of a robe as it hung on a peg as if by invisible hands, the unraveling of toilet paper, and the turning of the shower handle from warm water to ice cold and then to burning hot.
Unfortunately, after these acts of mischief, things took a more drastic turn. One evening, one of the cadets—Jim O’Connor—was walking out of the shower room where the strange events had occurred. However, something suddenly caught his eye. When he turned his head, he witnessed a strange man holding a 19th-century musket and dressed in clothes of the same era. More unnerving, though, were the glowing eyes. After several moments, the figure faded and was gone.
As the intensity of the events increased, the superior officers of the facility began to take them more seriously. So much so that they requested a “volunteer” spend the night in the room while they monitored the proceedings. As the night progressed, things began to heat up. Shortly after 2 am, the volunteer suddenly awoke to see the same mysterious figure in 19th-century clothing over top of him. What’s more, he could feel a crushing weight on his chest and was struggling for breath. As those watching the events ran into the room to assist, the spirit moved away and disappeared through the wall.
The room was ultimately put “off-limits,” and the case remains unsolved to this day.[3]
7 The Whang Hollow Portal?
Several intriguing accounts also come from the stone enclosures at a place named the Whang Hollow Portal. Or at least by those who believe such a gateway exists there. The stone structure itself has been there for around 3,500 years and is thought to have been some kind of astronomical calendar.
However, according to some paranormal researchers, many who have ventured inside have experienced some bizarre things. And these range from hearing strange “flute-like” music to seeing strange, glowing red eyes peering at them out of the darkness and even the appearance of a strange, cloaked figure.
Perhaps one of the most bizarre incidents, though, was when one person who had stepped inside this apparent portal was prevented from leaving by some kind of invisible force field. Not only couldn’t they move through this strange shield, but they were physically thrown to the ground by it. Eventually, the strange force disappeared, and they escaped the mysterious stone enclosure.[4]
6 The Elting Memorial Library Ghost
In more recent times in October 2007, the security cameras at the Elting Memorial Library in New Paltz appeared to capture footage of an otherworldly figure. The footage was recorded around 3 am in the days leading up to Halloween.
It appears to show a shadowy entity walking into the frame and standing near one of the bookshelves. It almost appeared as if the apparition was studying the books and did so for several seconds. It then moved out of the frame heading into a nearby doorway.
Millions of people went on to view the clip when it was posted on YouTube. And what’s more, there were many suggestions of who the ghostly figure might be. Perhaps one of the most popular is that it was the wife of Edmund Schoonmaker, who held the position of a librarian for over two decades. Paranormal researchers also point out that many other ghostly reports are connected with the building, especially when construction work occurs, which there was during the time the footage was captured. [5]
5 Hudson Valley’s Bigfoot Encounters
As we might imagine, such a place of bizarre activity would surely have several Bigfoot sightings to its name. And that is very much the case with the Hudson Valley region. Although many Bigfoot sightings have only been officially recorded since the mid-1980s, unofficial accounts and recollections of these strange creatures go back at least several decades before that. The woodlands and mountainous terrain within the Hudson Valley make it a perfect environment for a Bigfoot to reside.
What’s more, the fact that many UFO sightings are also reported here is of particular interest to some researchers. It is often found that UFO hot spots or waves of sightings often coincide with Bigfoot encounters.
In fact, there are so many Bigfoot sightings that the region has its own dedicated organization—the Bigfoot Researchers of the Hudson Valley—who record and document as many encounters as possible. [6]
4 The Forest Park Cemetery
One of the most intriguing areas of Hudson Valley is the Forest Park Cemetery, also known as the Pinewoods Cemetery. According to some, the entrance to Hell even exists here. As a result, many researchers insist that the cemetery is the “most haunted” in New York. And as such, it has many legends that are unique to it.
A regularly repeated legend is that of the apparent phantom female hitchhiker. This apparent spirit has been encountered by numerous people who happen to be driving past the cemetery. According to the legend, the unsuspected motorist will notice the young lady walking by the roadside, appealing for a ride. Then the motorist usually accepts and opens the door for the young lady to get in. However, as the vehicle passes the cemetery, the mystery girl will simply vanish into thin air. Some reports even speak of the motorist noticing the girl has hooved feet before she disappears.
There are a number of other reported sightings of ghostly figures. These include floating orbs and lights, hearing the sounds of children crying, and some completely visible apparitions.[7]
3 The Only Legally Declared Haunted House?
While there are several claims of haunted houses in the Hudson Valley, one, in particular, stands out. It is perhaps the only haunted house to be legally declared as such. The case arose in the early 1990s when the buyers of Helen Ackley’s home would take her to court to have the sale canceled and their deposit returned. The reason was they had since discovered that the house had seemingly been the center of hauntings and the appearance of ghosts.
Ackley had not informed her buyers of the hauntings, despite her having spoken of them in the media as far back as the late 1970s. She had even had her home included on local ghost tours for a time. What’s more, she described this paranormal activity in great detail. She would speak of hearing invisible footsteps on the stairs, possessions going missing, and even strange jewelry appearing out of nowhere.
The buyers won their case, leading to a change in U.S. law. It is now required that sellers of houses declare any untoward activity that has taken place there. And this ranges from murders and violent crimes to alleged cases of hauntings.[8]
2 The Many Other Haunted Hotels of the Hudson Valley
Several apparently haunted hotels are also within the Hudson Valley area. The Shanley Hotel, for example, is said to be home to a small plethora of paranormal happenings. Such things include hearing footsteps walking around the property and going up and down the stairs. Other people have reported being pushed or prodded with an invisible hand. Further still, some witnesses have reported seeing rocking chairs in some of the rooms rocking of their own accord—as if someone is actually sitting in them. Of even more intrigue, there have even been strange, glowing orbs captured on film.
Much the same can be said for Smalley’s Inn, which can boast plenty of the same strange activity. It is unclear what the cause of the paranormal activity is. However, some researchers point to the seemingly high number of child deaths that have occurred in the building, including some who died during childbirth.
Others, though, point to an apparent Ouija board party that took place in one of the rooms in the early 1980s. It was shortly after this ill-advised get-together that many believe the strange incidents and ghostly activity began.[9]
1 The Arthur Kill River UFO Encounter
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
We started our list with UFO reports, and it is perhaps fitting that we should end it with one. The Arthur Kill River incident that took place in mid-June 2001 would see multiple residents of the region witness glowing orbs in a V-shape over the New Jersey Turnpike. Although some reports would state the orbs were individual objects and others would state they were part of the same, large craft, the fact that so many people witnessed them makes it one of the more credible UFO reports on record.
In fact, the incident was very similar to the kind of sightings that were witnessed regularly in the 1980s. For a short time, this even had UFO researchers and enthusiasts focusing their attention on the region once more.
UFO sightings continue to occur in the Hudson Valley region today, as do the reports of many of the other strange encounters on our list. There is little doubt that the Hudson Valley is not only one of the most serene and beautiful parts of the United States but also one of the strangest.[10]
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