Mohenjo-daro and the 'Ancient Blast'
Some writers claim the great Indus city of Mohenjo-daro was destroyed by an ancient nuclear blast. Archaeologists found something else.
What was reported
Mohenjo-daro, in Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the great cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation, built around 2500 BCE, with brick houses, drains, granaries and a great bath. It was abandoned around 1900 BCE, and its writing has never been deciphered.
Since the 1970s, some writers have claimed the city was destroyed in a nuclear war thousands of years ago, pointing to stories in ancient texts and claims of high radioactivity and melted stone.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists have found no unusual radioactivity, no melted city and no sign of sudden destruction. The city declined slowly, probably because of changes in rivers and climate that affected farming and trade across the Indus region. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, threatened today by salt and flooding.
- When
- City built about 4,500 years ago
- Where
- Mohenjo-daro, Sindh, Pakistan
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and writers
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.