Description

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Context:

A reservoir unearthed last month in Haryana’s Rakhigarhi is not just a marvel of Harappan engineering but also advances evolving research on the Saraswati River.

About Rakhigiri

Category	Details
Location	Hisar, Haryana, in the Ghaggar-Hakra river region
Historical Significance	One of the oldest and largest cities of the Indus Valley (Harappan) culture, dating back to around 6500 BCE
Discovered	First discovered in the 1960s by the Archaeological Survey of India
Period of Occupation	Early and mature Harappan periods, with abandonment during the late Harappan period
Key Findings	Seven archaeological hills spread over 350 ha; mature Harappan phase, planned neighborhoods, mud bricks, burnt brick houses
Artifacts Found	Red Ware ceramics (bowls, vases, containers, cups, beakers, perforated containers), cylindrical seal, animal sacrifice pits
Cultural Evidence	Triangular and circular fire pits, sacrificial animal pits, evidence of ritual Harappan practices
Notable Discoveries	Cylindrical seal with five Harappan characters and alligator symbol, beads, terracotta, copper objects, and bone points
Funerary Evidence	Widespread funerals, likely from the very late phase of Harappan culture
Unique Contribution	Only site with evidence from the lower part of the Harappan era

About Saraswati River.

Category	Details
Origin	Kapal Tirith in the Himalayas, west of Kailash, flowing south to Mansarovar before turning west
Flowing Regions	Haryana, Rajasthan, North Gujarat, and Pakistan
Confluence	Meets the western sea (Rann of Kutch)
Branches	Two branches: Western and Eastern
Western Branch	Himalayan Satluj, flowing through Ghaggar-Patialiwali channels
Eastern Branch	Maranda and Sarsuti, representing Saraswati's western branch, also known as Tons-Yamun
Confusion Location	Near Shatran, 25 km south of Patiala, where the river flows into the desert (Kutch Rann)
Historical Evidence	Rigveda mentions Saraswati as a key river; praised in "Sukta" as a supreme goddess
Period of Flow	Between 6000 and 4000 BCE, Saraswati flowed as a major river for over 2000 years

Important Sites of Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)

Site	Location	Key Features	Key Findings
Harappa	Ravi River, Punjab (Pakistan)	Citadel, lower town, granaries, workshops, drains	12 granaries, evidence of trade with Mesopotamia, coffin burials in H pattern
Mohenjo-Daro	Sind, Pakistan	Citadel, Great Bath, granaries, workshops, assembly hall	Great Bath, evidence of flood resilience, seals, Pashupati seal
Kalibangan	Rajasthan, India	Citadel, lower town, fire altars, burial ground	Black bangles, fire altars, unusual burial practices (corpse burning)
Kot-Diji	Sind, Pakistan	Citadel, lower town, unbaked mud brick constructions	Terracotta bulls, figurines, evidence of extensive burning
Lothal	Gujarat, India	Citadel, lower town, dockyard, water reservoirs, workshops	Trading hub, rice cultivation, seals, first Harappan dockyard
Surkotda	Gujarat, India	Citadel, lower town, horse bones	Rare horse bones, megalithic burials
Sutkagen-Dor	Pakistan-Iran border	Citadel, lower town, stone and mud brick construction	Stone rubble, coastal uplift (cut-off from sea), trading seaport
Ropar	Punjab, India	Fortified citadel, lower town, stone and mud brick buildings	Faience beads, human and dog burial, unique burial practices
Alamgirpur	Uttar Pradesh, India	Fortified citadel, lower town, burnt brick buildings	Significant Harappan architecture
Amri	Sind, Pakistan	No fortifications, rhinoceros remains	Pre-Harappan and mature Harappan phases
Chanhu-Daro	Sind, Pakistan	Citadel, lower town, tools, bead factory	Craft activity (beads, seal making, shell working), no fortifications
Banawali	Haryana, India	Citadel, lower town, trade center, terracotta models	Seals, plow model, small denominations of weights, evidence of trade
Rakhigarhi	Haryana, India	Citadel, lower town, platforms, fire altars, bead workshops	Bone/ivory working, wooden coffin, bead-making workshop
Rangpur	Gujarat, India	Fortified citadel, lower town, rice cultivation	Evidence of rice cultivation, trade port
Dholavira	Gujarat, India	Citadel, bailey area, middle town, excellent drainage system	Rainwater harvesting system, bead making, maritime trade route

Source:

The Print

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Examine the significance of key Harappan Civilization sites in understanding the urban planning, trade practices and cultural aspects of the Indus Valley Civilization. How do these sites contribute to our understanding of the socio-economic structure and technological advancements of the time? (250 words)