Ahmedabad:

A cemetery in Kutch, Gujarat, first unearthed in 2018 and containing more than 500 graves, has led a team of archaeologists to make a fascinating discovery – a settlement dating back to the Harappan era more than 5,000 years ago.

Dr Subhash Bhandari, head of the archeology department at Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kachchh University, said the 2018 excavation of the cemetery near Juna Khatiya village raised some key questions. “There is a need to find out where these people live. This is a major question and we are looking for answers,” he said.

The team of archaeologists came to Padta Bet, about 1.5 kilometers away from the cemetery, to search. “We discovered a settlement on a hill approximately 200 meters by 200 meters in size. A river once flowed behind the hill. During excavations at the site, we discovered circular and rectangular structures where people lived. We also discovered Jars, big and small, and dishes,” he said.

Dr Bhandari said the team also found semi-precious stones such as carnelian and agate, shell fragments and hammer stone at the site. “We can say that this settlement is about 5,700 years old,” he said, adding that the settlement appeared to have been inhabited from the early Harappan period to the late Harappan era.

The team also found the remains of cattle and goats, he said. “We can say that the settlers here were engaged in animal husbandry,” he said, adding that they also found the remains of human skeletons.

Rajesh SV, assistant professor at the University of Kerala and co-director of the project, told The Indian Express: “The hillock at Pattabet could be the skeleton found at Juna Khatiya One of the locations of the remains (in the cemetery). It currently appears that this is one of the many settlements where Juna Khatiya was buried.”

At Patabet, researchers discovered two sites with archaeological deposits. Professor Abhayan GS, head of the archeology department at the University of Kerala, who led the excavations at Pattabet, said population growth could have led to people dispersing from one place to another. Another hypothesis is that they were inhabited at different times.

On why there are few buildings in the settlement, Professor Abahayan said: “The site is located on a small hill, so the landscape is unstable. Over time, this could lead to the collapse of many buildings.”

He said the location of the Padta Bet site was important. “The surrounding mountains and valleys can be seen from here. The river flowing nearby is probably the main source of water for the residents here.”

Dr Bhandari said they were now focused on unearthing more information about the links between cemeteries and settlements. “We will try to find out more about the people who lived there. The site is on a small hill so they had a clear view of their surroundings. We will try to find out whether this was from a strategic point of view or due to the fact that there was a nearby water source. We will also try to understand their eating habits. We found stones, so we will explore whether their occupation was mainly herding or also trading,” he said.

Institutions involved in the project include the University of Kerala, University of Kutch, Deccan College Pune, Central University of Karnataka, three Spanish institutes – Institute of Classical Archeology of Catalonia, Spanish National Research Council, Laguna University, Albion College and Texas A&M University in the United States.