Move Over Mohenjo-Daro, India Now Has the Biggest Harappan Site In Rakhigarhi

The discovery of two more mounds at the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana makes it the biggest excavation site of Harappan civilisation, even bigger than Mohenjo-daro (in Sindh,Pakistan). Until now, Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan was considered the largest among the 2,000 Harappan sites known to exist in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. A recent report by the Archaeological Survey of India claims that Haryana¡¯s Bhirrana is the oldest Harappan site and Rakhigarhi the biggest Harappan site in Asia.

Here are a few archaeological remains at Rakhigarhi

The excavated site

Clay toys found in rakhigarhi

The excavated grave had terracotta pots as funerary objects arranged placed around the head of the deceased, which suggest a believe in life after death.

Mud pots found in Rakhigarhi

Rakhigarhi Unearthed/FB

One of the skeletons found from Rakhigarhi is displayed in the National Museum, New Delhi.

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Meanwhile, here's what you need to know about the Indus Valley Civilisation:

The Indus Valley civilization along with the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations are considered the earliest civilizations of the Old World. Also known as the Harappan civilization after Harappa- the first of its cities to be excavated in the 1920s in what was then Punjab province in British India. Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were the two greatest cities of the civilization.

The Three Phases of Harrapan Civilization

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Archaeological remains from Mohenjo-daro

We have definitely seen this in our history textbooks. The Priest-King, a seated stone sculptor.

Mohenjo-daro citadel with the Great Bath infront

Pashupati-Seal - A seal discovered at the site bears the image of a seated, cross-legged and possibly ithyphallic figure surrounded by animals. The figure has been interpreted by some scholars as a yogi, and by others as a three-headed "proto-Shiva" as "Pashupati - theLord of Animals".

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View of the Granary or Great Hall on Mound F at Harappa

Details of walls in Granary area, Mound F

Excavated portion towards east of Mound F

MB Naveed/wikimedia

The bathing platforms

MB Naveed

An ancient well and bathing platforms at Lothal (one of the most prominent cities of the civilization)

MB Naveed

Obed Suhail

Bathroom structure at Lothal

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A drain at Lothal

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The foreground well is only one of eight wells, public and private, that have thus far been discovered at Harappa. Most of the water used by the population probably came from the adjacent Ravi River. The curved wall was probably part of a large drain used during the latter stages of ancient Harappa, around 2,000 B.C.

Junayd Anwar

Metal road to approach Harappa Museum was constructed in 1930 during British Rule in India. Here is the picture of inauguration plate for approach road.

Sabah Musood

Hand-modeled terra-cotta figurines with polychromy.

Trish Mayo

Ruins of Harappa

Syed Naqavi/wikimedia

Ess Ech

Ess Ech/wikimedia