All historic cities of ancient times have many common features in construction as well as in society, government, religion and culture. The uniformity among Harappan cities reveals a society that valued order, organization, and cleanliness. Administrators used the same model, carefully laying out cities on a north-south grid with wide streets and large rectangular blocks. They constructed most of the buildings from sturdy fired bricks molded to a standardized size. Residential and commercial districts were separated from a smaller area or public affairs. Huge brick ramparts 40 feet thick at their base partially protected it from the waters of the river and any potential human attackers. Large granaries demonstrate wealth and store bulky provisions, perhaps wheat for the local population, or export goods. The Harappan people had exceptional accommodations for ancient times. The wealthier residents lived in spacious houses built on solid brick foundations with interior courtyards providing plenty of privacy. But even ordinary people benefited from well-built housing. The urban Harappans enjoyed the most advanced sanitation system in the ancient world. Most houses had a bathroom and drains to carry away sewage. The covered pipes along the city streets were a technological masterpiece and more hygienic than those found in many modern cities. It is only in modern times that urban sanitation has duplicated and then surpassed Harappan models. The careful attention to the supply and disposal of water as well as the immense public baths suggest the emphasis on washing and personal cleanliness for ritual purity that later became important in Indian religion. Most believe they spoke a Dravidian language. ......ed as a branch of the Indo-European language family. Additionally, the first narrative produced by the Aryan people themselves, known as the Rig Veda, describes a culture based primarily on pastoralism, an activity not particularly suited to the Indus Valley. A definitive solution to the debate will have to await additional evidence. Works Cited Bentley, Jerry H., Herbert F. Ziegler, and Heather Streets-Salter. Traditions and Encounters: A Brief World History, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Spodek, Howard. World history. Volume 1: at 1500. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Inc., 1998. Schellinger, Paul et al., eds. International Dictionary of Historic Places. Flight. 5. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1996. Kulke, Hermann and Dietmar Rothermund. A History of India, 4th ed. 1998. Lawrence, J., Raj: The Creation and Defeat of British India, London, 1997