Haryana: ASI unearths 'pieces of evidence' of Harappan culture in Rakhigarhi village

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) on Sunday unearthed historical evidence of Harappan culture in the Rakhigarhi village of Haryana. Speaking to ANI, the joint director general of ASI, Sanjay K Manjul informed that the Rakhigarhi excavation site has at least seven mounds, and significant discovery was made in all of them. Talking about the list of finds, Manjul said that the team uncovered earthen pots, gold and copper objects, and storage vessels. Images shared by ANI also showed a skeleton with all bones intact with a heap of pots accumulated near its head- which resembled a graveyard situation. 

The discoveries took place in the third phase of the ongoing excavation in the village located in the Hisar district of Haryana. It is said to be one of the oldest archeological sites of the Indus Valley Civilization- the largest and most crowded of all the civilisations with a population of millions discovered in 1998 when seven mounds were excavated. Following the second phase of excavations in 2013, the sleepy village in Hisar was labelled as the largest surviving Harappan site. In 2021, ASI archeologists unburied four more mounds spread over 350 hectares. The land area surpassed that of Mohenjodaro, which was formerly believed to be the largest covering 300 hectares.

For the unversed, Rakhigarhi is a village located about 150 km from Delhi. It is one of the five iconic archeological sites - others being Sivasagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat, Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu, and Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh - noted by Central Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 2020 Budget speech. According to ASI Manjul, residents of Rakhigarhi might have had ancestors from Hastinapur. The sites are expected to be converted into on-site museums. Mounds 6 and 7 in the Rakhigarhi site are said to be "sites of national importance" among the 19 locations identified by ASI.

Harappan civilisation

Interestingly, the Harappan-Mohenjodaro civilisation -that dwelled about 5000 years ago- was a wealthy and sophisticated society and much more advanced compared to its time. Uniquely planned cities, drainage systems, and business operations were common factors, in addition to trash chutes and indoor plumbing, as said by historians. Harappan ancestors were also fond of jewelry, tools, and fancy equipment. As found through discoveries made by ASI, the Harappan civilisation had multi-tier houses and own jewelry-making units that were used to produce copper and gold ornaments.

(With ANI inputs)

(Image: ANI)