Khadir Bet,Kachchh Gujarat,India

India / Gujarat / Rapar /
 island, ancient, archaeological site
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This is a small isolated island within the salt plains of 'Rann of Kachchh'.

Dholavira is yet another Harappan site located in the Great Rann of Kachchh on a Khadir Bet. At present the Rann is a dry area but during good monsoon it gets flooded. Dholavira is supposed to have witnessed the earliest habitation of protohistoric period in Gujarat. Excavation has revealed a long cultural sequence which commences from the beginning of the third millennium BC, when perhaps a group of people from Makran coast arrived on the island through Kori creek. This assumption is based on the ceramic feature resembling those from the Amerian culture (datable to 3000 BC). Similar pottery has also been reported from other Harappan sites of Kachchh. The base of Rann of Kachchh might have been under 10 m deep water for 3000 years19 and the Khadir Bet could have served as an island in the shallow sea. It is not clear why people settled on an island rather than on the mainland, where agriculture and other commodities, including marine resources could be better exploited. The inference is that Dholavira was an active port and the Harappans must have found that this port was a safe harbour for anchoring boats. The long habitational history of the area highlights the importance of the location and of maritime activities. The location of the site seems to be favourable even for riverine navigation, in case one is not inclined to consider this a port site.
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Coordinates:   23°51'41"N   70°19'45"E

Comments

  • I must been remembering, old-memories of 1968, by old Surveyor, only; Khadir Bet and Indo-Pak border!
  • Khadir in located in india gujarat at the indo-pak border
This article was last modified 13 years ago