5200-year-old Harappan settlement discovered in Gujarat

VIZHINJAM: A team of archaeologists led by Assistant Professors Dr. Abhayan GS and Dr. Rajesh SV, Department of Archeology, University of Kerala, discovered the remains of a 5200-year-old Harappan settlement at Padta Bet in Kutch district, Gujarat.

Among the findings on the hillock of Padta Bet are circular and rectangular buildings built in sandstone, pottery, artefacts and animal bones. According to the researchers, these indicate the settlement of the Harappan people in the region from about 3200 to 1700 BC.

Some of the artefacts and pottery discovered have hitherto not been recorded anywhere else. Stone beads in carnelian and agate, copper, lithic tools, cores, debitage, grindstones, hammer stones, remains of cattle and sheep, and shell fragments have also been found.

Archaeo-botanical samples have been collected to further learn the plant's nature. A skeleton remains of a man was found buried under a pile of stones on the hillside. Foreign universities like Deccan College PGRI (Pune) and KSKV Kutch University (Gujarat) are collaborating with Kerala University in the research programme.