Kerala College’s archaeological excavation finds 5,300-year-old Early Harappan settlement in Gujarat

An aerial view of the excavation website at Lakhapar in Gujarat. Photograph: Particular Association

Archaeologists from the College of Kerala have unearthed a 5,300-year-old settlement close to Lakhapar village in western Kachchh, Gujarat.

The excavation has revealed an Early Harappan habitation website, positioned close to the now-quiet Gandi river, as soon as a perennial water supply, spanning almost three hectares on both facet of the Gaduli-Lakhapar street. The positioning was first recognized in 2022 by a workforce led by Abhayan G.S. and Rajesh S.V. from the Division of Archaeology, Kerala College.

The collaborative undertaking, involving each worldwide and nationwide establishments, builds upon the workforce’s earlier work on the close by Early Harappan necropolis of Juna Khatiya, simply 1.5 km away, the place they’d documented 197 burials over three discipline seasons since 2019.

Important context

The Lakhapar discoveries now present crucial habitation context to these burials, suggesting a dynamic, interconnected cultural panorama within the arid Kachchh desert.

The excavation uncovered structural remnants, partitions manufactured from native sandstone and shale, indicating well-planned development actions.

Significantly putting is the presence of pottery from each Early and Classical Harappan phases, courting again to round 3300 BC. Amongst these finds is the extraordinarily uncommon Pre-Prabhas Ware, beforehand identified from solely three websites throughout Gujarat. The presence of this distinct ceramic custom at Lakhapar factors to a culturally distinctive group throughout the bigger Harappan civilization.

Excavations unearth pottery and artefacts at Lakhapar in Gujarat

Burial website

Much more intriguing is the invention of a human burial within the neighborhood of the settlement. The skeleton, although poorly preserved, was interred straight in a pit with no seen structure or markers and accompanied by Pre-Prabhas Ware pottery. That is the primary identified burial to incorporate this uncommon ware, hinting at a beforehand undocumented ritual observe or subgroup throughout the Early Harappan inhabitants, the researchers level out.

“Past structure and pottery, the excavation revealed a wealthy array of artefacts: semiprecious stone beads manufactured from carnelian, agate, amazonite, and steatite; shell ornaments, copper and terracotta objects; and lithic instruments. Of specific notice are Rohri chert blades, which point out connections with the Sindh area,” Dr. Abhayan said.

Animal stays, together with cattle, sheep, goats, fish bones and edible shell fragments, counsel that inhabitants relied on each animal husbandry and aquatic sources. Samples have additionally been collected for archaeobotanical evaluation to grasp plant use and historical food plan.

In response to Dr. Rajesh, what units Lakhapar aside is that whereas Gujarat has yielded a number of Early Harappan burial websites, comparable to Dhaneti, proof of related settlements has been elusive till now. Lakhapar bridges that crucial hole, providing a uncommon glimpse into each the dwelling and the lifeless of the identical cultural group.