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The early Indus valley civilisation (circa 2500-1600 B.C.) was not
confined to the two valley cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro some
four hundred miles a art from each other - but has been found to
extend to Rajasthan, Gujarat and even Haryana.
The two major excavation works carried out in Dhola Vira in Kutch
by a team headed by R.S. Bisht and another by Vasant Shinde at
Padri Gohilni located at Talaja taluka, a sub-division of Bhavnagar
district, have produced significant evidence of an early Harappan
culture.
Village Padri is located approximately 8 km to the west of Talaia
and 55 km to the south of Bhavnagar town. Huge ceramic earthern
pots decorated with human figurines dug up from this region some of
them in excellent condition - measuring 80 cms long with
circumference 2.35 metres have thrown up new evidence that villages
along this region were engaged in 'salt-farming.'
Vasant Shinde, reader In Asian archaeology, at the Deccan college
here, told TOINS on Tuesday that excavations at this ancient site
revealed a threefold cultural sequence: the early Harappan (period
I), mature Harappan (period II) and early historic (period III).
"The early historic period has been precisely dated to the first
century A.D. on account of the discovery of a copper coin similar
to those issued by the Kshatrapa king Nahapan and a circular clay
tablet bearing Brahmi script, characteristic of the beginning of
the Christian era. The early Harappan phase has been dated from
3600 to 3300 B.C. Similarly the ceramic assemblage from Nagwada in
Surendranagar district-Saurashtra, reveals a close resemblance to
early Harappan pottery, particularly the Amrit tradition."
This evidence suggests the Possibility of the simultaneous
occupation of Sind and Gujarat by the pre-urban Harappans, from
which evolved the urban Harappan phase, Mr Shinde, pointed out.
The ceramic assemblage recovered from these sites incorporate some
of the typical Harappan traditions, noticed at Amri, Kot Diji and
Nal in Sind and Kalibangan in Rajasthan, added Mr Shinde. The
similarity is confined to some pottery forms painted decorations
and the surface treatment. One of these huge pots made from very
fine clay in natural colour, depicts a 'horned deity,' which some
of the scholars have identified as Pashupati (Lord Shiva in one of
his early forms), found to be prevalent almost all over the
Harappan region, during the same period.
The early Harappan transformation is mainly seen In their material
equipments, ceramic and earthern pots, refined in some cases.
Initially they were found to be in very rudimentary form, but these
continued to develop and become more 'evolved' in the mature phase.
The development of copper technology is also evident in the
recovery of some typical copper objects like a 'fish hook,' arrow
heads, knives and axes.
The archaeological team headed by Mr Shinde, which carried out
excavation work from 1990 to 1996) in Padri village also uncovered
a huge structured complex with nine rooms, either rectangular or
squarish, interconnected by some common wall. These rooms were
found to have been made of bricks and mud designed for various
purposes.
Three rooms were found used for dwelling purposes, another two used
for storage, with circular platforms large enough to keep huge
jars, two other rooms were used for craft activities. One room was
also found to show evidence of copper 'smelting and yet another for
manufacturing of stone tools.
The people in this region were also found to have a well-developed
agriculture system.
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