The origin of the Harappan civilization can be traced back to the Mehrgarh culture (circa 7000 BCE), a Neolithic culture in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, rather than to external influx. Small-scale settled agricultural groups that began in the Balochistan highlands gradually migrated to the Indus River plains, developing mud-brick utilization, metallurgy, and pottery production techniques. This early evolutionary stage is the ‘Early Harappan’ period, also known as the Regionalization Era (3300 BCE–2600 BCE). Based on the capabilities accumulated during this period, the civilization entered the ‘Mature Harappan’ period around 2600 BCE, characterized by highly planned cities.