Trade
- The economy depended greatly on trade, the inhabitants of the Indus Valley traded with Mesopotamia, Southern India, Afghanistan, and Persia for gold, silver, copper, and turquoise. Advancement of technology led to carts and early boats that were used as the main method of trade and travel. The civilizations appeared to have maintained complex trade networks both within their cultural atmosphere and outside of it. Trading posts eventually extended their influence to the borders of modern Iran. Also, the network of cities along the Indus seemed to have been convenient in a long-distance trade of copper for the exchange of gold, silver, semiprecious stones, shells, and timber.
- The development of widespread irrigation systems allowed the populations to strive and increase greatly. It allowed the people to provide for themselves, and to allowed them to be more advanced in agricultural technology. Wheat and barley were primary agricultural crops that were grown, however rye, peas, cotton, and rice were grown too. Domestication of animals served as an important tool for cultivation and as well as a food source.