Scientist blames fall of Indus Valley civilisation on climate change

Shifting monsoon patterns linked to climate change likely caused the rise and fall of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, according to a study analysing data from North India from the past 5,700 years.

The analysis by an Indian-origin scientist at the Rochester University of Technology in the US, measured the presence of particular chemical forms in South Asian caves to formulate a record of monsoon rainfall in the region for the past 5,700 years.

While there are several theories about why the Indus Valley Civilisation declined, including invasion by nomadic Indo-Aryans and earthquakes, climate change appears to be the most likely scenario, the study published in Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science noted.