4,000-year-old city actually became more equal as it became more successful: Study

A University of York study in Antiquity finds that Mohenjo-daro became more equal as it expanded into a major Indus Valley city.

House-size differences narrowed over time, suggesting wealth and status were distributed more evenly as the city grew.

Signs of trade and infrastructure were broadly shared across households, not concentrated among a small elite.

The results challenge the idea that urban success must lead to rising inequality, showing ancient cities could stay productive and relatively egalitarian.