IttiHaas Chronicle
archaeology

Massive 4,500-Year-Old 'Indus Valley Terracotta Pipe' Network for City-Wide Hot Water Identified at Ganweriwala

📅 April 1, 2026 📰 Global Heritage Journal
Massive 4,500-Year-Old 'Indus Valley Terracotta Pipe' Network for City-Wide Hot Water Identified at Ganweriwala

New excavations at the enigmatic site of Ganweriwala in the Cholistan Desert have uncovered a revolutionary terracotta pipe network designed for the distribution of hot water. The system, dated to roughly 2500 BCE, connects a central thermal processing unit to a series of private residential baths in the city's elite quarter, representing a level of urban luxury previously unseen in the ancient world.

The network consists of double-walled ceramic pipes insulated with bitumen and clay to maintain temperature over long distances. Researchers believe the water was heated using large-scale solar-thermal collectors or industrial-scale furnaces. This find solidifies Ganweriwala's status as a major technological innovator within the Indus Valley Civilization.

Original source: Global Heritage Journal