The construction of wells made with specially designed wedge-shaped bricks reflects the high level of technical expertise achieved by Indus architects and the overriding need for reliable sources of water in large urban centers. Wedge-shaped well bricks were the same length as normal rectangular bricks (28 cm) but one edge was constricted to create a tight fitting tubular construction. As wells were sunk into the ground, the surrounding pressure of the soil made the construction even stronger. Wells range in size from around 1 m internal diameter to over 2 m in diameter and were excavated below the water table to provide freshwater in the heart of the cities. Many houses, particularly at sites such as Mohenjo-daro, had private wells, but in other sites a single well was used for a larger neighborhood. Public wells were located along major streets or in public courtyard areas.
Most houses in larger cities had separate bathing areas with paved floors made with bricks set on edge and closely fitted to make them water tight. A separate latrine area was usually located next to the bathing platform. The latrines were in the form of a commode made from an old storage jar, which usually had a hole punched into the base and was buried up to the rim in the floor. These commodes would have been regularly emptied and the waste taken outside of the city. Small drains discharged wastewater from the bathing area and latrine overflow into a sump pot in the street or into a neighborhood drain. When houses were remodeled, a new jar would be placed on top of the old commode and the surrounding floor was raised with rubble or debris.
The larger city drains were generally not used for removal of human waste, but rather to take away water from bathing areas and wells, and excess rainwater. Major drains emptied the wastewater onto the plains outside the city. Many streets in the larger cities had garbage bins for the accumulation of nonliquid waste that would have been collected and dumped outside the settlement.
Although the Indus cities were equipped with the most sophisticated drainage system of any contemporaneous ancient city, these drains and garbage collection areas and latrines had to be maintained continuously to function effectively. Excavations at Harappa have shown that while some areas of the city were being maintained, streets and drains in other neighborhoods became filled with refuse, and even rotting animal carcasses. Eventually, the city or more likely neighborhood committees refurbished these streets and new drains were constructed above the old ones, indicating a fluctuating and possibly decentralized process of civic order and maintenance.
World History
