Sources of History

A.I. and the Indus River Valley

Posted on 04 June 2009

If you teach ancient civilizations, one of the subjects that is often lacking in many resources is the Indus River Valley.  There is so much that we don’t know about this society and I’m always on the lookout for resources to use in a class.  This recent article from Wired would be a great addition to a lesson plan (and a great hook for any students interested in computer science!)

The mystery of the Indus language is ongoing, but this is a nice article about how modern technology can help us understand the ancient world.  The article explains how scientists have used artificial intelligence to establish that the symbols above the famous seals from the Harappan civilization do in fact follow the patterns of language.  This is also a great example of how our understanding of history is never stagnant.