Corresponding mortuary differences suggest that socially and economically marginalized communities were most vulnerable in the context of climate uncertainty at Harappa. Furthermore, the risk for infection and disease was uneven among burial communities.

Bioarchaeological evidence demonstrates the prevalence of infection and infectious disease increased through time. We assess evidence for paleopathology to infer the biological consequences of climate change and socio-economic disruption in the post-urban period at Harappa, one of the largest urban centers in the Indus Civilization.

Climate, economic, and social changes contributed to the disintegration of this civilization after 1900 B.C. the impact of environmental change was compounded by concurrent disruptions to the regional interaction sphere. Recent paleoclimate reconstructions from the Beas River Valley demonstrate hydro-climatic stress due to a weakened monsoon system may have impacted urban centers like Harappa by the end of the third millennium B.C. The late mature phase (2200-1900 B.C.) was characterized by long-distance exchange networks, planned urban settlements, sanitation facilities, standardized weights and measures, and a sphere of influence over 1,000,000 square kilometers of territory. In the third millennium B.C., the Indus Civilization flourished in northwest India and Pakistan.

Harappan civilization