Rakhigarhi to be Developed as an Iconic Site | 03 Feb 2020

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.

Source: TH