Bedwa: A Mature and Late Harappan Necropolis in the Upper Ghaggar Basin (original) (raw)
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New Evidences from the Harappan Cemetery of Seman-6, DistrictRohtak,Haryana
Heritage:Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 1: 2013, Department of Archaeology, University of Kerla, Thiruvananthapuram
Village Seman is situated at a distance of about 8 km north of Meham town, a tehsil headquarter in Rohtak district of Haryana state. It is approachable by a metal road from Meham via Bhaini Surjan. It is about 120 km north west of New Delhi. There are seven proto historic sites in the revenue jurisdiction of this village including one cemetery, which is located about 1 km east of the village. Pottery recovered from the site belongs to classical Harappan phase. On the basis of location and material recovered from the site Seman 6 can be associated with Farmana 1. This site was extensively excavated in 2008 09 and the final report was published. In the present paper pottery recovered during the explorations is discussed which include some new type of pottery.
Early Harappan Burials at Dhaneti: A Preliminary Report of the Survey and Excavations (2016-2018
Research on Indus Civilization in the Wake of Hundred Years of Excavation at Harappa, 2023
Excavations at Dhaneti, in Kachchh District, Gujarat, brought to light a large number of burials affiliated to the Indus civilization. Not being associated with any remains of regular habitation these cenotaphs are part of a large cemetery measuring roughly 4.5 hectares. Dominated by oblong pit-burials with or without capstones, cairns, and stone circles, the burials do show considerable variation in their structural details. Differences are also noticeable in the internment of burial goods such as potteries, shell bangles, and occasionally shell beads. The potteries are indicative of their Early Harappan affiliation, especially those resembling the late Kot-Diji phase. The site is also associated with a small, isolated spread of iron slag, although no Iron Age artefact is reported. In general, the structural features of the cenotaphs are similar to the Megalithic burials of the peninsular Indian Iron Age. Intriguingly, no large Harappan or later-period (Historic period) habitation site is located in the vicinity (8 to 10 km radius) of this cemetery. This peculiar situation poses several interesting questions concerning the origin and spread of this burial tradition in the Harappan/Chalcolithic context of Gujarat.
Archaeological and anthropological studies on the Harappan cemetery of Rakhigarhi, India
An insufficient number of archaeological surveys has been carried out to date on Harappan Civilization cemeteries. One case in point is the necropolis at Rakhigarhi site (Haryana, India), one of the largest cities of the Harappan Civilization, where most burials within the cemetery remained uninvestigated. Over the course of the past three seasons (2013 to 2016), we therefore conducted excavations in an attempt to remedy this data shortfall. In brief, we found different kinds of graves co-existing within the Rakhigarhi cemetery in varying proportions. Primary interment was most common, followed by the use of secondary, symbolic, and unused (empty) graves. Within the first category, the atypical burials appear to have been elaborately prepared. Prone-positioned internments also attracted our attention. Since those individuals are not likely to have been social deviants, it is necessary to reconsider our pre-conceptions about such prone-position burials in archaeology, at least in the context of the Harappan Civilization. The data presented in this report, albeit insufficient to provide a complete understanding of Harappan Civilization cemeteries, nevertheless does present new and significant information on the mortuary practices and anthropological features at that time. Indeed, the range of different kinds of burials at the Rakhigarhi cemetery do appear indicative of the differences in mortuary rituals seen within Harappan societies , therefore providing a vivid glimpse of how these people respected their dead.
Bulletin of Deccan College, 2018
Chance findings of human skeletal remains are very common in excavation process. Most of the time there are no indications of the grave on the surface. Some time while exploration or general cutting of the section can expose the bones. The present paper based on accidental exposure of human remains at Harappan site Surkotada, Dist. Kachchh, Gujarat, while visiting the site which was excavated in 1971-72 by Archaeological Survey of India under Shri. S.P. Joshi. Eventually bones representing almost entire body got exposed with some undamaged burial pottery. The finding came from a heap of soil outside of the boundary wall constructed by the ASI for the protection of the site. The AMS dating of a sherd (bulk sherd organics) from the associated burial pottery yielded the date 4590+/-30 BP (2 sigma Cal BC 3490 to 3465, Cal BC 3375 to 3340 and 3200 to 3195). Based on this date, the Surkotada burial and associated burial pottery can be dated to the second half of fourth millennium BC i.e. Early Harappan Phase.