In what ways were the Indus Valley people an advanced civilization

Answer 1

http://www.google.com/search?q=indus+valley+civilization&oq=indus+valley&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j5j0j69i62l2.2972j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

There were specific ways in which some civilizations rose above others in terms of development ... and most were clearly defined by about 3000 BC.

-- invention and use of the wheel
-- invention and use of the sail for boats (usually one mast, eventually more)
-- living in towns and cities instead of nomadic clans
-- and other specifics: http://india.mrdonn.org/indus.html

One really interesting development for early civilizations (which we take for granted nowadays) was that there were jobs for some people that didn't involve producing anything, but they were supported by the rest of the community because of their skills and talents, such as those who developed the methods for keeping track of shipping and trades (and this all led to the concept of writing for all our ideas, not just for business reasons).

Answer 2

If you can ever find a copy of Leonard Cottrell's book called The Anvil of Civilization, be sure to get it. It's not a long heavy book, and its chapters are not long either. It's not a new book, but it's still basically right in describing ancient civilizations, including the Indus Valley civilization.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=anvil%20of%20civilization