Kutch Villagers Hunt For Gold But Find 4500-YO Harappan Civilisation Named Morodharo

Picture embarking on a gold treasure hunt reminiscent of old tales, only to stumble upon something arguably more valuable¡ªnot necessarily for you personally, but for civilisation as a whole!

Representative image/ NPR

This scenario unfolded for villagers in Rajkot, who initially sought gold but instead discovered an ancient civilisation, uncovering a Harappan site near Dholavira.

The Harappan Civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization, thrived during the Bronze Age in the northwestern areas of South Asia. It endured from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, with its mature phase spanning from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE.

Harappan civilisation with similarity to Dholavira unearthed

Lodrani village in Gujarat, situated 51 kilometers from the Dholavira World Heritage site in Kutch, had long been rumored to harbor hidden gold.

Consequently, five years ago, a group of enterprising individuals joined forces to embark on a quest for the elusive treasure.

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What they uncovered, and what archaeologists later unearthed as they assumed control of the excavation following initial discoveries, is a fortified settlement of the Harappan civilisation.

"Villagers believed there was a medieval fortress and buried treasure. But when we examined the site, we found a Harappan settlement where life was flourishing some 4,500 years ago," said Ajay Yadav, who was one of the lead archaeologists in this discovery, while speaking to TOI.

Features of Harappan site Morodharo

Ajay Yadav, a research scholar, collaborated with his professor, Damian Robinson, both affiliated with Oxford's School of Archaeology, in making this breakthrough.

Contrary to the previous perception of Lodrani as a mere stone-rubble settlement, their investigation revealed architectural details at the site remarkably similar to those found in Dholavira.

"Our most important observation is that this site and Dholavira both depended on the sea. As it's so close to the Rann (desert), it can be safely presumed that at that time what became a desert later must have been navigable," Yadav said.

Harappan civilisation

The site was formally identified in January and named Morodharo.

The following are the features of the Harappan site Morodharo:

• Morodharo is a fortified settlement of the Harappan era, with the fortification measuring 102 m to the west and 58 m north to the south. The thickness of the wall is 3.3 m on an average.
• Morodhara has a 10x10 m platform on the south-west side and a well on the north-east side.
• Burial cairns have been found at Morodharo. A cairn is an intentionally constructed mound of stones, typically created for marking a location or serving as a burial mound.
• Harappan pottery with perforated jar sherds, reserved slipware and terracotta cakes have also been unearthed.
• All these objects bear a notable resemblance to those discovered in Dholavira.

The site might never have been discovered if it weren't for the villagers searching for gold.

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