The Indus Valley Civilisation flourished in the northwestern regions of South Asia, comprising portions of India and Pakistan, 3,500 to 5,000 years ago. &nbsp;Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were its main cities, and it was known for its advanced urban planning, the street layouts and drainage system. However, it declined suddenly, and archaeologists have never been able to conclusively find the reason. A new study, published Thursday (November 27) in the journal Communications Earth &amp; Environment, states that decades-long droughts likely spelt doom for the Indus Valley Civilisation. "Successive major droughts, each lasting longer than 85 years, were likely a key factor in the eventual fall of the Indus Valley Civilisation," the team stated.&nbsp;As the water started drying up, the population shifted to regions where water sources were still present and accessible. This led to a gradual decline in the number of people who inhabited the Indus Valley, ultimately leading to its demise. The researchers point to one particular drought that extended for 100 years, 3,500 years ago, coinciding with "widespread deurbanization and cultural abandonment of major [cities]."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/indian-scientists-stumble-upon-37-000-year-old-bamboo-fossil-with-strange-marks-it-changes-things-for-asia-1764322533921">Indian scientists stumble upon 37,000-year-old bamboo stem with strange marks in Manipur. It changes things for Asia</a><h2>Global simulations show rivers dried up, rainfall patterns changed</h2>The researchers relied on three different global climate simulations to understand how the climate has changed over thousands of years. They analysed how rainfall and temperature witnessed shifts between 3,500 and 5,000 years ago. They also determined how rivers, streams and other bodies of water in the region changed over time, and that settlements consistently moved to stay close to water sources. Surprisingly, they found droughts slammed the region in all three simulations. &nbsp;&nbsp;"The consistent decline in rainfall from 5000 to 3000 years ago in all three simulations shows that multi-century droughts, monsoon weakening, or winter rainfall shifts are real, persistent signals and not artefacts of a single model," Hiren Solanki, a doctoral student at the Indian Institute of Technology at Gandhinagar, and lead author of the study, said. To be fully sure of their results, the team also looked at previous studies to gauge the growth speed of stalagmites and stalactites in caves, since less precipitation means slower growth. They also looked at sedimentary deposits in lakes. These studies matched their research and strengthened the new research on the fall of the Indus Valley Civilisation. &nbsp;

Indian scientists in Gujarat have found that the Indus Valley Civilisation faced multiple droughts, one after the other, that lasted for decades. One of them went on for 100 years, and ultimately led to the demise of one of the most advanced civilisations. 

The Indus Valley Civilisation flourished in the northwestern regions of South Asia, comprising portions of India and Pakistan, 3,500 to 5,000 years ago. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were its main cities, and it was known for its advanced urban planning, the street layouts and drainage system. However, it declined suddenly, and archaeologists have never been able to conclusively find the reason. A new study, published Thursday (November 27) in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, states that decades-long droughts likely spelt doom for the Indus Valley Civilisation. "Successive major droughts, each lasting longer than 85 years, were likely a key factor in the eventual fall of the Indus Valley Civilisation," the team stated. As the water started drying up, the population shifted to regions where water sources were still present and accessible. This led to a gradual decline in the number of people who inhabited the Indus Valley, ultimately leading to its demise. The researchers point to one particular drought that extended for 100 years, 3,500 years ago, coinciding with "widespread deurbanization and cultural abandonment of major [cities]." Also Read: Indian scientists stumble upon 37,000-year-old bamboo stem with strange marks in Manipur. It changes things for Asia Global simulations show rivers dried up, rainfall patterns changed The researchers relied on three different global climate simulations to understand how the climate has changed over thousands of years. They analysed how rainfall and temperature witnessed shifts between 3,500 and 5,000 years ago. They also determined how rivers, streams and other bodies of water in the region changed over time, and that settlements consistently moved to stay close to water sources. Surprisingly, they found droughts slammed the region in all three simulations. "The consistent decline in rainfall from 5000 to 3000 years ago in all three simulations shows that multi-century droughts, monsoon weakening, or winter rainfall shifts are real, persistent signals and not artefacts of a single model," Hiren Solanki, a doctoral student at the Indian Institute of Technology at Gandhinagar, and lead author of the study, said. To be fully sure of their results, the team also looked at previous studies to gauge the growth speed of stalagmites and stalactites in caves, since less precipitation means slower growth. They also looked at sedimentary deposits in lakes. These studies matched their research and strengthened the new research on the fall of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Indian scientists in Gujarat have found that the Indus Valley Civilisation faced multiple droughts, one after the other, that lasted for decades. One of them went on for 100 years, and ultimately led to the demise of one of the most advanced civilisations.&nbsp;

Indus Valley Civilisation died a slow death - Scientists reveal what really led to its fall

A study is defying a 100-year-old belief about what keeps the world's highest mountain range aloft. The Himalayas have been standing tall in Asia ever since they were formed 50 million years ago. As the Asian and Indian continents collided, tectonic forces squeezed Tibet, reducing the area by almost 1,000 kilometres. The Indian tectonic plate slipped under the Eurasian plate, acting as a platform for the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau to the north as the thickness of Earth's crust doubled. This was first confirmed by Swiss geologist Émile Argand in 1924, who said that the Indian and Asian crusts are stacked on top of each other and stretch for 70 to 80 km deep beneath Earth's surface. But a new study states that this is not possible.&nbsp;According to a paper, the rocks in the crust turn molten around 40 km deep due to extreme temperatures. Pietro Sternai, an associate professor of geophysics at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy and the lead author of the study, told Live Science, "If you've got 70 km of crust, then the lowermost part becomes ductile… it becomes like yogurt — and you can't build a mountain on top of yogurt." Sternai says that their analysis reveals that there is a third layer, a piece of mantle, sandwiched between the Asian and Indian crusts. This led the Himalayas to not only grow tall, but has also helped them stay high. The paper was published on August 26 in the journal Tectonics. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/lost-continent-discovered-under-antarctica-and-india-8872820">Pieces of lost continent found under Antarctica and India point to one thing</a>&nbsp;<h2>Blobs are holding Himalayas aloft</h2>This layer sits directly beneath the crust, and its high density ensures that it doesn't liquify at high temperatures. It is light and buoyant, and lifts up higher above Earth's surface like an iceberg. The team of scientists created a simulation of the collision between the Asian and Indian continents. They noted that as the Indian plate slipped beneath the Eurasian plate, blobs rose up and attached themselves to the bottom of the Asian crust and the base of the lithosphere. Sternai say that this shows that a rigid layer is present between the two plates. He says that this creates the perfect conditions for the Himalayas to stand tall. "You've got all the ingredients you need to uplift topography and sustain the weight of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau," he said.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the authors are aware that defying Argand's theory isn't easy and borders on controversial. But they are aware that the study results should not be ignored since they explain several geological oddities in the Himalayas. &nbsp;

The Himlayas were formed 50 million years ago and are believed to be standing on the Indian tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate. However, a study now states that that might not be the case. In fact, there is something else also that has kept the mountains aloft.

A study is defying a 100-year-old belief about what keeps the world's highest mountain range aloft. The Himalayas have been standing tall in Asia ever since they were formed 50 million years ago. As the Asian and Indian continents collided, tectonic forces squeezed Tibet, reducing the area by almost 1,000 kilometres. The Indian tectonic plate slipped under the Eurasian plate, acting as a platform for the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau to the north as the thickness of Earth's crust doubled. This was first confirmed by Swiss geologist Émile Argand in 1924, who said that the Indian and Asian crusts are stacked on top of each other and stretch for 70 to 80 km deep beneath Earth's surface. But a new study states that this is not possible. According to a paper, the rocks in the crust turn molten around 40 km deep due to extreme temperatures. Pietro Sternai, an associate professor of geophysics at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy and the lead author of the study, told Live Science, "If you've got 70 km of crust, then the lowermost part becomes ductile… it becomes like yogurt — and you can't build a mountain on top of yogurt." Sternai says that their analysis reveals that there is a third layer, a piece of mantle, sandwiched between the Asian and Indian crusts. This led the Himalayas to not only grow tall, but has also helped them stay high. The paper was published on August 26 in the journal Tectonics. Also Read: Pieces of lost continent found under Antarctica and India point to one thing Blobs are holding Himalayas aloft This layer sits directly beneath the crust, and its high density ensures that it doesn't liquify at high temperatures. It is light and buoyant, and lifts up higher above Earth's surface like an iceberg. The team of scientists created a simulation of the collision between the Asian and Indian continents. They noted that as the Indian plate slipped beneath the Eurasian plate, blobs rose up and attached themselves to the bottom of the Asian crust and the base of the lithosphere. Sternai say that this shows that a rigid layer is present between the two plates. He says that this creates the perfect conditions for the Himalayas to stand tall. "You've got all the ingredients you need to uplift topography and sustain the weight of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau," he said. Meanwhile, the authors are aware that defying Argand's theory isn't easy and borders on controversial. But they are aware that the study results should not be ignored since they explain several geological oddities in the Himalayas.

The Himalayas were formed 50 million years ago and are believed to be standing on the Indian tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate. However, a study now states that that might not be the case. In fact, there is something else that has kept the mountains aloft.

Himalayas are not standing on Indian and Eurasian plates alone, as a secret third layer is revealed

New clues hinting that Dwarka, the sunken city that was once Lord Krishna's kingdom, lies under the water have been discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India’s Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW). Side-scan-sonar and multibeam surveys revealed a string of structural “anomalies” off Dwarka and Bet Dwarka in March this year. Scientists say that the structures found include “possible jetty walls and grapnel-type stone anchors”. Several artefacts have been recovered from the site, the most precise targets yet revealed. An interim field note filed on 16 April talks about everything that has been recovered - clusters of Harappan-style stone anchors, inscribed potsherds and copper rings. An L-shaped dressed-stone segment was spotted lying 5–12 metres below the eastern flank of Gomati Creek. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/doorbell-camera-seemingly-captures-an-extraterrestrial-being-in-freaky-encounter-1751947291441">'Mom it's an alien': Doorbell camera seemingly captures an extraterrestrial being in freaky encounter</a>&nbsp;<h2>All-woman diver team explored Gomati Creek</h2>An all-woman team of diver-archaeologists explored the region and checked through the south of Gomati Creek, an area first explored in the 1980s. The five-member core team included Dr Aparajita Sharma, Poonam Vind and Rajkumari Barbina, and was led by Prof. Alok Tripathi. &nbsp;Photogrammetry is being run on the artefacts to refine the dating, possibly from the late Harappan date of c. 1800–1500 BCE. The crew is combining data from high-resolution photogrammetry, sediment coring and optically stimulated luminescence dating. Using the data, the team is preparing a plan to conserve the stone ruins, instead of pulling them out of the waters. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/another-lost-city-detected-under-egyptian-pyramid-by-scientists-bu-it-says-expert-1749609642375">Another city detected under Egyptian pyramid by scientists who found Khafre towers. 'Bu****it', says expert</a>&nbsp;This method was endorsed in a June 2025 peer-reviewed study that studied Dwarka’s bathymetry. It proposed a calibrated chronology for a stone jetty between 1,800 and 1,500 BCE. The expedition will resume in the winter, and the ASI is calling for people to join. Nominations have been opened for a two-week underwater archaeology course and lectures. Dives will also be conducted in Dwarka before the main expedition. The UAW has scheduled a third “ground-truthing” season for October–November 2025 since the Arabian Sea is especially choppy in summer. Tripathi told The New Indian Express that the entire area will be surveyed and a call will be taken on excavation based on that.&nbsp;<h2>Is the submerged city of Dwarka real?</h2>Earlier digs carried out in 2005–07, threw up anchors, sculpture fragments and 26 cultural layers near the Dwarkadhish Temple. However, it was not confirmed whether Krishna's port city was real. According to Mahabharata, Krishna established his kingdom in Dwarka after killing his uncle Kamsa. A legend states that after Krishna fulfilled his task on Earth and departed for heaven, leaving behind his mortal body, Dwarka submerged in the water. Hindu mythology says that it is partially submerged in the Arabian Sea. While people associate it with a submersion after Krishna left Earth, some believe that it was gradually swallowed by rising seas.&nbsp;

Is Lord Krishna's fabled city of Dwarka real? Was it swallowed by the sea after Krishna left Earth? Exploration work on this has been going on for years. A new expedition has noted a wider area to carry out the search and the first phase has revealed several artefacts.

New clues hinting that Dwarka, the sunken city that was once Lord Krishna's kingdom, lies under the water have been discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India’s Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW). Side-scan-sonar and multibeam surveys revealed a string of structural “anomalies” off Dwarka and Bet Dwarka in March this year. Scientists say that the structures found include “possible jetty walls and grapnel-type stone anchors”. Several artefacts have been recovered from the site, the most precise targets yet revealed. An interim field note filed on 16 April talks about everything that has been recovered - clusters of Harappan-style stone anchors, inscribed potsherds and copper rings. An L-shaped dressed-stone segment was spotted lying 5–12 metres below the eastern flank of Gomati Creek. Also Read: 'Mom it's an alien': Doorbell camera seemingly captures an extraterrestrial being in freaky encounter All-woman diver team explored Gomati Creek An all-woman team of diver-archaeologists explored the region and checked through the south of Gomati Creek, an area first explored in the 1980s. The five-member core team included Dr Aparajita Sharma, Poonam Vind and Rajkumari Barbina, and was led by Prof. Alok Tripathi. Photogrammetry is being run on the artefacts to refine the dating, possibly from the late Harappan date of c. 1800–1500 BCE. The crew is combining data from high-resolution photogrammetry, sediment coring and optically stimulated luminescence dating. Using the data, the team is preparing a plan to conserve the stone ruins, instead of pulling them out of the waters. Also Read: Another city detected under Egyptian pyramid by scientists who found Khafre towers. 'Bu****it', says expert This method was endorsed in a June 2025 peer-reviewed study that studied Dwarka’s bathymetry. It proposed a calibrated chronology for a stone jetty between 1,800 and 1,500 BCE. The expedition will resume in the winter, and the ASI is calling for people to join. Nominations have been opened for a two-week underwater archaeology course and lectures. Dives will also be conducted in Dwarka before the main expedition. The UAW has scheduled a third “ground-truthing” season for October–November 2025 since the Arabian Sea is especially choppy in summer. Tripathi told The New Indian Express that the entire area will be surveyed and a call will be taken on excavation based on that. Is the submerged city of Dwarka real? Earlier digs carried out in 2005–07, threw up anchors, sculpture fragments and 26 cultural layers near the Dwarkadhish Temple. However, it was not confirmed whether Krishna's port city was real. According to Mahabharata, Krishna established his kingdom in Dwarka after killing his uncle Kamsa. A legend states that after Krishna fulfilled his task on Earth and departed for heaven, leaving behind his mortal body, Dwarka submerged in the water. Hindu mythology says that it is partially submerged in the Arabian Sea. While people associate it with a submersion after Krishna left Earth, some believe that it was gradually swallowed by rising seas.

Is Lord Krishna's fabled city of Dwarka real? Was it swallowed by the sea after Krishna left Earth? Exploration work on this has been going on for years. A new expedition has noted a wider area to carry out the search, and the first phase has revealed several artefacts.

String of structural anomalies south of Gomati creek reignite search for sunken city of Dwarka

Ram Madhvani's The Waking of a Nation explores an important chapter of Indian history — the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that jolted the nation and motioned for an active approach to uproot British colonialism and seek independence. In an exclusive chat with WION's Zeba Khan, Ram Madhvani spoke about the new show which tells the conspiracies behind the massacre, how it was a planned attack and how the British rule left an impact our culture. The Waking of a Nation is streaming on SonyLIV.

Ram Madhvani interview on making The Waking of a Nation | WION exclusive interview

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Indus Valley Civilisation died a slow death - Scientists reveal what really led to its fall

Himalayas are not standing on Indian and Eurasian plates alone, but a secret...

String of structural anomalies reignite search for sunken city of Dwarka

Ram Madhvani interview on making The Waking of a Nation | WION exclusive interview