Book excerpt: This slim volume is an attempt to rouse the interest of students and non-specialists in the early civilization of the Indus valley and adjoining regions of Pakistan and India. The challenges of archaeological interpretation are discussed, together with maps, site plans and illustrations of artefacts, but the evidence is presented in social terms rather than in a technical way. In an attempt to cast an overall perspective, the Indus civilization is presented in the context of contemporary cultural development in South Asia as well as Western and Central Asia. The third edition of this volume included references to new ideas on the Indus civilization and to excavations at a small but significant site. This revised and updated fourth edition contains additional material on Dholavira and the harnessing of flash-floods.