New research from Bhirrana in northern India suggests the Indus Valley Civilisation could be about 8,000 years old. This is thousands of years older than previously believed. Experts studied pottery fragments and animal bones from deep settlement layers. Radiocarbon dating showed human occupation nearly 9,000 years ago. This discovery could rewrite the timeline of ancient civilizations, placing the Indus Valley before Egypt’s first pharaohs. The civilisation, also called the Harappan civilisation, is known to have flourished around 2600 to 1900 BC across parts of Pakistan and northwest India. Researchers found evidence of early urban life, including well-planned streets, houses with courtyards, drainage systems, and granaries. The civilisation had no grand temples or large palaces like Egypt, which may mean its governance was different. At its peak, it possibly supported over five million people and spanned from the Arabian Sea to the Ganges basin. Archaeologists also found beads, stone weights, copper and bronze tools, and carved seals with undeciphered writing. Previous theories blamed climate change for the decline, but new evidence suggests a slow transition. Communities adapted by switching to drought-resistant crops like millets and rice. This may have led to smaller settlements instead of a sudden collapse. Other causes like migration, flooding, or disease are still debated.