Indian History
Rakhigarhi to be Developed as an Iconic Site
- 03 Feb 2020
- 3 min read
Why in News
Union Budget (2020-21) has proposed to develop Rakhigarhi (Hisar district,Haryana) as an iconic site.
- 4 other archaeological sites in Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Shivsagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur in (Tamil Nadu) will also be developed as iconic sites with onsite museums.
Rakhigarhi
- Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site in the Indian subcontinent.
- Other large sites of Harappan civilization on Indian sub-continent are Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Ganveriwala in Pakistan and Dholavira (Gujarat) in India.
- At Rakhigarhi, the excavations are being done to trace its beginnings and to study its gradual evolution from 6000 BCE (Pre-Harappan phase) to 2500 BCE.
- The site was excavated by Amarendra Nath of ASI.
Major Findings at the Site
Settlements
- The archaeological excavations revealed the mature Harappan phase represented by planned township having mud-brick as well as burnt-brick houses with a proper drainage system.
Seals and Pottery
- A cylindrical seal with 5 Harappan characters on one side and a symbol of an alligator on the other is an important find from this site.
- The ceramic industry represented by red ware, which included dish-on-stand, vase, perforated jar among others.
Other Antiquities
- Blades; terracotta and shell bangles, beads of semi precious stones, and copper objects; animal figurines, toy cart frame and wheel of terracotta; bone points; inscribed steatite seals and sealings.
Rituals and Burials
- Animal sacrificial pit lined with mud-brick and triangular and circular fire altars on the mud floor have also been excavated that signifies the ritual system of Harappans.
- The excavations have yielded a few extended burials, which certainly belong to a very late stage, maybe the medieval times.
Recent findings
- Recently, a study of DNA from skeletal remains excavated from the Harappan cemetery at Rakhigarhi found that the people in the Harappan Civilization have an independent origin.
- This study negates the theory of the Harappans having Steppe pastoral or ancient Iranian farmer ancestry.
Harappan Civilization
- It is also known as Indus Valley Civilization.
- It flourished around 2,500 BC, in the western part of South Asia, in contemporary Pakistan and Western India.
- The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China.
- In the 1920s, the Archaeological Department of India carried out excavations in the Indus valley wherein the ruins of the two old cities, viz. Mohenjodaro and Harappa were unearthed.
