Archaeological sites of the Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as Harappa Civilization. It is now located in Pakistan, the western part of India and some parts of Afghanistan. This civilization was flourished between 3500 to 1300 BCE. So it was mainly a Bronze Age civilization and developed near the bank of the Indus River. So far more than 1400 sites have been found in this civilization. Among them, Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, Kalibangan, Lothal, Dholavira, Chanhudaro etc are the major sites.

Major sites of the Indus Valley civilization and their important characteristics are discussed below.

Mohenjo-Daro

• Mohenjo-daro is the largest center of the Indus Valley Civilization.
• The word Mohenjo-daro means “the mound of the dead“.
• This site was discovered in 1922 by Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay in the Indus Valley.
• Present location Larkana District, Sindh, Pakistan.
• It is located on the right bank of the Indus.
• Period: 2600 – 1900 B.C.E.
• The great bath, a large granary, and a meeting house built on pillars are found here.
• A large number of bronze statues have also been found at this archaeological site.
• About 1398 seals have been recovered from this site.
• A seal discovered from this site has an image of an Indian ship.
• A seal engraved with the image of Pashupati Mahadev has also been found in this area.
• A bronze dancing female statue has been discovered from this area.
• It is now UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• People had tread relations with Mesopotamia.

Info: Iravatam Mahadevan, after studying the seals found at Mohenjo-Daro, commented that the original name of this city was ‘Kukutarma’ (city of roosters).

Harappa

• The word Harappa means ‘Food of Pashupati‘ in Hindu mythology and “Buried City” in Sindhi.
• This site was discovered in 1921 by Dayaram Sahani in Punjab (present-day Pakistan).
• Period: 3300 to 1300 BCE.
• Harappa is located on the right bank of the Irrawaddy River.
• Stone lingams, wheat, barley, copper chains, etc. have been found here.
• A large bathhouse, a coffin tomb and a cemetery have also been found here.
• There was a tomb for the dead on the southern side of the fort. This is known as R-37.
• About 891 seals have been found here.
• Swastika-marked seals and bronze ekkas (vehicles) have been found.
• Just below the citadel were single-room barracks for workers.
• A headless nude male statue made of red sandstone has been found.
• Unicorn seals have been found here.
• Harappans had trade relations with Mesopotamia and Elam.

Info: Miniature votive figurines or toy models found fron Harappa.

Lothal

• This site was discovered in Gujarat in 1954 by S. R. Rao.
• Period: 2400 to 1600 BCE
• It is the world’s first seaport (artificial harbor).
• Terracotta ships have been discovered. Terracotta ship portraits are found here.
• Lothal is known as the ‘Manchester‘ of the Indus civilization in terms of textile trade.
• Evidence of rice cultivation from 1800 BC has been found here.
• Rice husks have been found.
• Terracotta artifacts suggest the presence of horses.
• The main (house) entrance was towards the road.
• In a double tomb, artifacts were discovered on the bodies of a man and a woman.
• Evidence of a game similar to chess was found.
• The 180, 90, and 45-degree angle measuring devices discovered in this area resemble the modern compass.
• The fire altar discovered here gives an idea of ​​the practice of sacrifice and fire worship.
• A jar discovered in Lothal depicts the story of the cunning fox, which is similar to the story of the Panchatantra.

Info: Apart from Lothal, only Rangpur found indications of rice bran.

Kalibangan

• Kalibangan means black bracelet.
• It was discovered in Rajasthan by B.K. Thapar in 1960.
• Period: 2900 – 2700 BC
• The oldest evidence of the use of a plow (wooden) has been found here.
• It had the earliest cultivated agricultural fields.
• Toy car wheels have been found.
• Evidence of 7 sacrificial altars in a row has been found.
• Camel bones have been found.
• Both types of tombs, square and circular, have been found.
• The skull of a child suffering from hydrocephalus has been found.

Info: Apart from Lothal, this is the second Harappan center where the lower city was also surrounded by walls.

Chanhudaro

• It was discovered in the Indus Valley Civilization by Nanigopal Majumdar in 1931.
• Period: 4000 to 1700 BCE.
• Evidence of many oyster or shell jewelry shops, metalware shops and bead shops have been found here.
• In addition, many copper tools and some items like ink pots have been found.
• Three types of cultural layers have been found – Indus Valley Civilization, Pre-Harappan Ware Culture and Bangar Culture.
• Bone, seal and toy factories have been found.
• Dog footprints have been found on bricks.
• The only city of the Indus Valley Civilization that does not have a citadel.
• Bronze bullock carts and a portrait of an ace have been found.

Info: Historians believe that the city, Chanhudaro was destroyed due to floods.

Dholavira

• Discovered in 1967 by J.P. Joshi in the Khadir region of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
• Period: 3000 to 1500 BCE
• Tablets with Indus script were discovered here.
• Evidence of a reservoir used for water conservation has been found at Dholavira.
• A stadium has been found.
• It was the fifth-largest center.
• Located on the Tropic of Cancer.
• Two streams flow through Dholavira.
• The Mansar stream flows outside the northern city walls and the Manhar stream flows through the southeastern part of the walls.
• Although there was potential for irrigation, the area does not have much arable land.
• Sewerage and a large well have been found.
• The castle area was important.
• Scholars believe that this area was inhabited by officials involved in administrative work.
• Four paths can be seen around the walled enclosure.
• The north of the city area was the middle town. This area is also surrounded.
• The third part is known as the Lower Town. Among them were artisans, artists and people from the farming community.
• The inhabitants of Dholavira built a strong and sturdy dam over the Mansa stream. Scholars believe that it was built to store and supply water.
• The oldest traces of Harappan script have been found.
• A wooden signboard with such script is found near the northern entrance.
• Traces of 13 Harappan scripts have also been found on a steatite block.
• While bricks were used in the construction of houses at the Harappan archaeological site, stone blocks were used at Dholavira.
• Not only houses, but also the use of stone is seen here in the construction of reservoirs and sewers.
• A wall made of raw bricks is also seen here.
• A canal made of baked brick masonry is also seen in this level.
• The city or fort wall is seen in the second, third and fourth levels of Rakhigarhi, which is particularly consistent with contemporary urban planning.
• In some houses, traces of a furnace have also been found in the kitchen.
• Black-painted pottery can be divided into Black Pointed Ware, etc.
• Several terracotta animal statues have also been found.

Info: No other archaeological site like Dholavira has found an open space within the city.

Ropar

• This site was discovered in 1953 by Y.D. Sharma on the banks of the Sutlej.
• Period: around 2,000 BC.
• This is the first archaeological site discovered in independent India.
• Evidence of a dog being buried with humans has been found here.
• Copper coils have been found.
• Evidence of Pre-Harappan and Harappan culture has been found.
• The houses are mainly made of stone and mud.
• Brus Celts, terracotta, and an engraved seal were found.

Amri

• It has established a link between the Pre-Harappan and Post-Harappan cultures.
• Location: west bank of the Indus River, Sindh, Pakistan
• Period: 2500 to 1900 BC.
• Pre-Harappan artifacts are also found.
• Sacrificial altars and rhinoceros remains have been found.
• Brown Amri Ware pottery has been found.
• Also, animal figurines made of Terracotta have been found here.
• Evidence of Bangar culture dates back to the late Harappan period.

Info: Historians’ evidence suggests that the town was destroyed by a widespread fire around 2500 BC.

Banawali

• Location: left bank of Sarasvati River.
• Excavated in 1973 by R.S.Bist.
• Pre-Harappan (Phase-1), Harappan (Phase-2), and Bara (Phase-3)
• The roads were not always straight and they were not cut at right angles.
• Lack of a well-organized sewage system.
• High-quality barley, mustard and sesame seeds have been found.
• Ceramics, steatite seals, terracotta beads.
• Plough, clay figure of a mother goddess also found here.

Info: Unlike other Harappan centers, the chessboard or grid pattern was not followed.

Surkotada

1. Location: Rann of Kachchh.
2. Discovered by Shri Jagat Pati Joshi in 1964-1968.
3. Period: around 2300 B.C. to 1700 B.C
4. The first real evidence of horse bones has been found.
5. Pot burials have been found.
6. Citadel found but no city has been excavated.

Sutkagendor

1. Location: Baluchistan Province
2. Period: Baluchistan Province
3. Discovered in 1875 by Major Edward Mockler excavated by Aurel Stein in 1927.
4. The presence of the citadel and the lower city.
5. It was initially a port, but was later cut off from the sea as the coast rose.
6. Flint edges blade and shell beads are found here.
7. Also many stone tools like stone arrowheads, and vessels of stones found here.

Rakhigarhi

• Rakhigarhi is located in Hisar district in Haryana (Ghaggar-Hakra River plain).
• It was connected to Delhi and Hamsi and Jind areas via Rohtak.
• Period: Early: 3300 – 2600 BCE Later: 2600 – 1900 BCE.
• Dr. Sinde discovered the Rakhigarhi on ruins of Harappan civilization here.
• Signs of the mature Harappan civilization have been found in the Rakhi-Sahpur area.
• R. S. Kint has mentioned the pre-Harappan culture found in the north-western part of the Rakhi-Sahpur area. The mention of a gong-shaped seal is particularly noteworthy.
• J. P. Joshi and his associates have mentioned 137 pre-Harappan and 109 complete seals found in the discussed place.
• Raymond Allchin also mentioned the important settlement found here. The cultural spread here is about 105 hectares.
• The first level of Rakhigarhi is 6 m high from west to east. The area is oval in shape.
• Two mounds have been found.
• A burial ground has also been found.
• The second level is 14 m high. The fort wall can be seen here. This area is near the village of Rakhi-Sahpur. Several manuscripts, copper fragments and pottery and artifacts have been found.
• The height of the third level is 12 m. Above it, traces of a cemetery or burial ground have been found.
• Traces of a fortified fort wall built in two levels have been found.
• Traces of settlements of the inhabitants of Rakhi and Rakhi-Sahpur region have been found in the fourth and fifth levels of Rakhigarhi. It extends east-west with a height of about 17 m. A mound is seen in its southeastern part.