Mohenjo-daro's house drains, street sewers and two brick toilets
TL;DR — At Mohenjo-daro almost every house unit had a bathing area draining into covered street drains; only two brick toilets are known.
At Mohenjo-daro, one of the great cities of the Indus civilization, water was taken out of almost every house. “Almost every house unit at Mohenjo-daro was equipped with a private bathing area with drains to take the dirty water out into a larger drain that emptied into a sewage drain,” according to Harappa.com, the website of the archaeologists who work on the Indus cities. The city belongs to what the same site calls the Integration Era of the Indus civilization, 2600–1900 BC.
Quick facts
- When
- The Indus Integration Era, 2600–1900 BC
- Where
- Mohenjo-daro, in today's Pakistan; also Harappa and Dholavira
- Who
- The people of the Indus cities
- Outcome
- Bathing areas in almost every house unit drained into larger covered drains under the streets; most people used pots set into the ground as commodes
A bathing area in almost every house
The bathrooms were built to keep water in. “Many of these bathing areas had water tight floors to keep moisture from seeping into the other rooms nearby or below,” the description of a Mohenjo-daro bath area continues. The dirty water ran from the house into a larger drain, and from there into a sewage drain.
Drains under the streets
The street drains were large. “Many large covered drains were constructed with corbelled arches,” Harappa.com notes. “These drains ran beneath streets and lanes and were large enough for workmen to enter and clear any obstructions.”
The same plan appears in other cities. “The Harappans used the same size bricks and standardized weights as were used in other Indus cities such as Mohenjo Daro and Dholavira,” the site’s introduction says, and these cities “were well planned with wide streets, public and private wells, drains, bathing platforms and reservoirs.”
Two toilets and many pots
Toilets are rarer than bathrooms. In the HR area of Mohenjo-daro, two structures “with a hole and drain” are “thought to have been toilets,” Harappa.com records. “While these two structures may have been unique examples of toilets, most people would have used old pots set into the ground as commodes.”
The Great Bath
The city’s best-known waterworks is public. The Great Bath is a tank “approximately 12 meters north-south and 7 meters wide, with a maximum depth of 2.4 meters,” entered by two wide staircases. Its floor is “water tight due to finely fitted bricks laid on edge with gypsum plaster,” and “a thick layer of bitumen (natural tar) was laid along the sides of the tank.” Harappa.com calls it “without doubt the earliest public water tank in the ancient world.” Who built and ran the system is unknown; the Indus left no identified palace, and the question of who governed its cities has its own article.
Key facts
- Almost every house unit at Mohenjo-daro had a private bathing area draining to a sewage drain (Harappa.com).
- Many bathing areas had watertight floors (Harappa.com).
- Large covered drains with corbelled arches ran beneath streets and were big enough for workmen to enter (Harappa.com).
- Two structures in the HR area are thought to have been toilets; most people used pots set into the ground (Harappa.com).
- The Great Bath measures about 12 by 7 meters and 2.4 meters deep, sealed with bitumen (Harappa.com).
- Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and Dholavira used the same size of brick and standardized weights (Harappa.com).
FAQ
Did Mohenjo-daro have toilets?
Two brick structures with a hole and a drain, in the HR area, are thought to have been toilets. Most people, Harappa.com says, would have used old pots set into the ground.
Did every house in Mohenjo-daro have a bathroom?
Almost every house unit had a private bathing area, many with watertight floors, draining into larger drains and then a sewage drain.
How big were the Indus drains?
Many large covered drains, built with corbelled arches, ran beneath the streets and were large enough for workmen to enter and clear blockages.
When was Mohenjo-daro built?
It belongs to the Indus Integration Era, which Harappa.com dates to 2600–1900 BC.
How big is the Great Bath?
About 12 meters by 7 meters and 2.4 meters deep, made watertight with fitted bricks, gypsum plaster and a layer of bitumen.
Sources
Cite this article
- APA
- Song Letter. (2026, October 11). Mohenjo-daro's house drains, street sewers and two brick toilets. Our Earth's History. https://ourearthshistory.com/south-asia/ancient/indus-flush-toilet-sanitation/
- Chicago
- Song Letter. “Mohenjo-daro's house drains, street sewers and two brick toilets.” Our Earth's History, October 11, 2026. https://ourearthshistory.com/south-asia/ancient/indus-flush-toilet-sanitation/.
- MLA
- Song Letter. “Mohenjo-daro's house drains, street sewers and two brick toilets.” Our Earth's History, 11 Oct. 2026, https://ourearthshistory.com/south-asia/ancient/indus-flush-toilet-sanitation/.
Get the week in history
One email a week: the new articles, and what was happening elsewhere at the same moment. Free, no ads, unsubscribe any time. How we handle your email.
Text licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Found an error? Tell us.