Context: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has formally handed over human skeletal remains excavated from the Rakhigarhi site in Haryana to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI).
About Rakhigarhi – Harappan Site:
What It Is?
- Rakhigarhi is an ancient Bronze Age metropolis that stands as the largest known urban settlement of the Indus-Saraswati (Harappan) Civilization. The site documents thousands of years of continuous human habitation, showcasing a complete evolutionary stratigraphy from the Early (Pre-Harappan) to the Mature Harappan periods.
Location:
- Geographical Matrix: Situated in the Narnaud tehsil of the Hisar district in Haryana, roughly 150 kilometers northwest of New Delhi.
- River Plain Basin: Located within the fertile Ghaggar-Hakra river plain, along the dry paleo-bed of the seasonal Sarasvati River.
Discovery and Excavations:
- Initial Discovery: The site was first identified and documented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the 1960s, with pioneering documentation carried out by Professor Suraj Bhan in 1969.
- Major Excavations:
- Dr. Amarendra Nath (ASI): Led landmark extensive excavations between 1997 and 2000, confirming the true metropolitan scale of the settlement and discovering early burial grounds.
- Professor Vasant Shinde (Deccan College): Spearheaded massive structural and skeletal digs from 2012 to 2016, expanding the mound count and successfully recovering ancient DNA.
- Dr. Sanjay Manjul (Institute of Archaeology): Orchestrated modern field seasons from 2022 through 2026, unearthing unprecedented cemetery artifacts at Mound No. 7.
Key Features of the Site:
- Advanced Grid City Planning: Houses were constructed using standardized burnt and mud terracotta bricks along paved public roads stretching up to 1.92 meters wide.
- Sophisticated Drainage Architecture: Features complex, brick-lined covered wastewater drains running from individual households directly into main street sewage channels.
- Large Public Granary: Discovered in the Mature Harappan layers, this public granary features mud-brick construction and seven large rectangular chambers. Lower walls retain traces of lime and decomposed grass to repel moisture.
- Industrial Manufacturing Hubs: Mound No. 1 served as an ancient manufacturing zone, yielding cloth-dyeing installations, terracotta firing kilns, and a specialized gold foundry containing a furnace and over 3,000 unpolished semi-precious gemstones.
- Mound No. 7 Cemetery & Rich Burial Offerings: Serves as the primary burial ground.
- Recent 2025–26 digs revealed unprecedented funerary customs, with some graves containing up to 40 distinct pottery offerings buried near the deceased to indicate high social status. Skeletons are traditionally laid in a north-south alignment.
- Commercial and Ritual Artifacts: Excavations yielded standardized chert trade weights, copper fish hooks, animal figurines, brick-lined fire altars for civic rituals, and unique steatite cylinder seals engraved with Harappan script symbols and alligator motifs.
