A Bronze Age civilisation that came closer to utopia than we have yet, shows us that we should make sure the world has abundance, freedom and peace

What are the elements of a perfect society? World History Archive/Alamy

ABUNDANCE. Freedom. Peace. Our model of a perfect society has been continually updated over the five centuries since Thomas More wrote Utopia, but those three elements are always central.

It’s a tall order to achieve it, and small wonder no large society has done so for any length of time. Or has it? Those studying the Bronze Age Indus civilisation say it met these conditions for 800 years, making it our best candidate for a real-life utopia.