4K years ago, Mohenjo-daro grew more equal over time
5 hours ago
- #ancient cities
- #urban inequality
- #archaeology
- Archaeologists long believed that city growth correlates with rising inequality, but new research on Mohenjo-daro challenges this by showing lower inequality levels that even decreased over time.
- Using Gini coefficients to analyze housing sizes, researchers found Mohenjo-daro had less economic disparity than contemporary cities in Mesopotamia and Bronze Age Greece, with housing becoming more uniform as the city expanded.
- Unlike other ancient civilizations, Mohenjo-daro lacked royal palaces, lavish tombs, and monumental statues, instead investing in public infrastructure like organized streets, drainage systems, and standardized trade practices accessible to all residents.
- The study suggests that governance focused on public services and shared infrastructure contributed to reduced inequality, offering an ancient model where urban growth coexisted with equitable resource distribution.
- Mohenjo-daro's example raises questions about alternative models of early urban development, emphasizing collective governance and public investment over centralized power and social divisions.