Indus Valley Civilization Found in Rajasthan Desert
▪ A new Harappan site has been discovered in the deep desert region of Rajasthan, near Ratadiya Ri Dheri in Jaisalmer district.
▪ It’s located about 60 km from Ramgarh (India) and 20 km from Chandanwala (Pakistan).
▪ Dating of site: Archaeologists date the settlement to the mature urban phase of the Indus Valley civilization i.e. 2600 to 1900 BCE.
▪ This is the first concrete evidence of Indus Valley presence in the interior desert of Rajasthan.
▪ The discovery adds Rajasthan to the global map of early urban civilizations.
▪ Until now, Pilibanga in northern Rajasthan was the state’s most prominent Harappan site, discovered by Italian Indologist Luigi Pio Tessitori in the early 20th century.
▪ This site offers a crucial link between Harappan settlements in Gujarat and northern Rajasthan.
▪ It helps redefine the geographic spread of the Indus Valley Civilization.
▪ Highlights long-distance trade and resource exchange during Harappan times.
▪ It backs up theories that changing rivers—and disappearing water sources—shaped where people could live back then.
▪ It provides insights into:
✓ Rural-urban dynamics
✓ Environmental adaptation
✓ Regional interactions of ancient civilizations
▪ Findings
✓ A large quantity of fragmented pottery is scattered across the site, including red ware, slipped
red ware, bowls, jars, and perforated vessels.
✓ Stone blades (8–10 cm) likely made from chert sourced from Rohri, Pakistan
✓ Terracotta cakes, grinding stones, clay and shell bangles, and other urban artifacts
✓ A kiln structure is discovered on the site’s southern slope, featuring a central column—similar to kilns found at Kanmer (Gujarat) and Mohenjo-daro.
✓ The wedge-shaped bricks are also unearthed, which likely served in constructing circular walls and kilns, along with typical Harappan-style bricks.
