Part 12/18:
Flourishing around 2600 to 1900 BCE in present-day Pakistan and northwest India, the Indus Valley Civilization marked one of the earliest urban societies, exemplified by well-planned cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Notable for their advanced drainage systems and undeciphered script, this civilization left an enduring legacy despite its mysteriously abrupt decline.
Hittites: Ascendancy in Anatolia
The Hittite Empire, which emerged around 1600 BCE in Anatolia, is notable for its legal innovations and military prowess in the ancient Near East. Engaging in treaties—most famously with the Egyptians—the Hittites shaped the political landscape of their time. However, the eventual decline of their empire around 1100 BCE was influenced by internal strife and foreign invasions.