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Around 2,300 BC, the Harappans came to
Surkotada and built a fortified citadel and residential annexe, made of
mud brick, mud lumps and rubble containing houses with bathrooms and
drains. They had painted pottery with Indus alphabet painted on the pots,
chert blades and copper objects, a typical Harappa seal has also been
found.
MAIN FINDS:
Among the interesting finds are clay 'linga' like objects evidently of
cult significance. A piece of charred rope adds to the variety of the
finds. Bones of the Equus from the earliest levels is an important
discovery as this reveals that the animal was known to the Harappans. Some
important finds are a typical Harappan terracotta seal, a heavy copper
chisel, a hoard of copper beads and bangles and terracotta toys, tanks and
beads besides animal skeletal remains of horses, camels, elephants and
sheep.
UNUSUAL
PRACTICES:
The Harappans buried the bones of their dead in small oval pits and put
jars and dishes on a stand probably for keeping food etc and covered it
with a huge slab. This practice is unprecedented in the Harappan burial
tradition.
The excavations have revealed that the Harappans lived here along with an
antecedent culture with all their typical modes of habitation and cultural
assemblage and continued even after the mature phase was over.
TRACES OF HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION REVEALED:
The excavation brought to light a sequence of three phases of the Harappa
Culture. From the very beginning of the occupation, the settlement was
fortified on a rectangular plan, divided into two equal parts. The western
half was used as a citadel while the eastern served as the lower city for
residential purposes. The fortifications were made of mud with a veneer of
rubble masonry.
The
objects obtained from the deposits of this period were largely Harappan,
and included a typical Indus seal, long chert-blades, beads, etc. The
people practiced pot-burial as one of the models for the disposal of the
dead. In the sub-Period IB, the Indus elements became less pronounced with
the appearance of a new ceramic tradition of coarse red ware.
Among the finds were a copper flat-celt and chisel. The upper levels
yielded sherds of white-painted black-and-red ware, indicating the arrival
of a new group of settlers, in the area. In sub-Period IC, the Indus
pottery tradition was further restricted, the dominant ceramic type was
the white-painted black-and-red ware.
The new arrivals reconstructed the fortifications in rubble masonry. The
citadel had two entrances; one from the lower city on the east and the
other on the southern side. The finds included beads of steatite and
carnelian, a big terracotta painted bull, square terracotta tanks, and few
chert blades.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Air: Nearest Airport Bhuj.
Road: Approachable from Bhuj by road and a regular bus service is
available.
NEAR BY CITY:
Bhuj: 85 kms (Approx.)