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 Harappa,
the type-site of the
Indus civilization,
is today a large
village in the
Sahiwal district
Punjab, 15 miles
southwest of the
town. It overlies
and adjoins the
mounds of the
ancient city, which
appear to have had a
circuit of not less
than 3 miles, though
the more emphatic
mounds occupy a
considerably smaller
expanse.
It was the first
city that was
escavated of Indus
Valley Civilization
and became the
milestone in
understanding the
life and culture in
of the punjab and
India somewaht
between 3.000 to
1500 years BC. The
harrapa and then
after Indus valley
civilazation made
the history of Indus
valley much
comparable to other
ancient
civilizations of the
world in Mesopotamia
(Iraq) and Egypt.
Many believe that
history of Harappa
is not only the
history of Indus
valley and
subsequently of
India but a history
of mankind and more
so history of Asia.
Near the ruins of
old Harappa there
still exists the
living town of
Harappa where still
people are making
the pots and
jewellery as their
ancestors used to
use 4,000 years ago.
One can not complete
his tour of Pakistan
without visiting
Harappa in Punjab
and Mohenjodaro in
Sind.
The site at Harappa
was first briefly
excavated by Sir
Alexander Cunningham
in 1872-73; two
decades after brick
robbers carried off
the visible remains
of the city. He
found an Indus seal
of unknown origin.
The first extensive
excavations at
Harappa were started
by Rai Bahadur Daya
Ram Sahni in 1920.
His work and
contemporaneous
excavations at
Mohenjo-daro first
brought to the
world's attention
the existence of the
forgotten Indus
Valley civilization
as the earliest
urban culture in the
Indian subcontinent.
The main features of
the plan, the
citadel on the west
and the mounds of
the ‘lower city’
towards the east and
southeast have
already been
indicated. To the
north a slightly
hollowed belt
containing notably
green crops marks an
old bed of the River
Ravi. Today the
river flows 6 miles
further north.
Between the citadel
and the riverbed,
Mound F has been
found to contain a
remarkable and
significant piece of
town planning; to
the south of the
citadel lie the
outlying hills, the
Harappan cemetery
and the post
Harappan cemetery.
To the southeast,
sporadic digging has
been carried out in
Area G, but the
ragged Mound E and
its surroundings are
virtually
unexplored.
amount still to be
learned about the
site, most of which
remains unexcavated.
The earliest
deposits on the site
go back to 5300 B.P.
and the area seems
to have been
continuously
inhabited ever
since.
Archaeologists think
that ancient Harappa
was the urban center
dominating the upper
Indus region, much
like Mohenjo-daro
dominated the lower
Indus Valley and
Ganweriwala might
have been the urban
center for what is
now Rajasthan.
Archaeological
evidence is the key
to understanding
Harappa’s past.
Although Harappa
continues to be the
center of historical
debate, further
archaeological
explanations may
some day reveal the
validity or
inaccuracy in the
historical accounts
of Harappa.
Regardless of its
impact on written
history, archaeology
will continue to
reveal the way of
life for Harappa's
inhabitants. |
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