State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 30 Jul 2025

Discovery of Harappan Site in Rajasthan's Thar Desert

Why in News? 

A new Harappan site has been found at Ratadiya Ri Dheri in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan.  

• The site was discovered by Dilip Kumar Saini, a history lecturer, and Parth Jagani, a local enthusiast.  

Key Points

• About: The discovery of Ratadiya Ri Dheri is the first Indus Valley settlement found in Rajasthan's Thar desert. 
  • The site is located 17 km northwest of Sadewala, Pakistan, where Harappan traces were previously found.  
  • This discovery bridges an important gap in the archaeological map between Rajasthan and Gujarat. 
• Background: Before this, the most well-known Harappan site in Rajasthan was Pilibanga in the north, discovered by Italian Indologist Luigi Pio Tessitori in the early 20th century.  
• Artefacts Found: The artifacts discovered include red pottery fragments such as bowls, pots, and jars, clay and shell bangles, terracotta objects, stone tools, and wedge-shaped bricks used in kilns.  
  • The kilns at the site resemble those found in Kanmer (Gujarat) and Mohenjo-daro (Pakistan), indicating the presence of a developed settlement. 
• Dating and Significance: Archaeologists have dated the site to the mature urban phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation (2600 to 1900 BCE).  
  • The site is a rural Harappan settlement. It has been identified through terracotta cakes, pottery, stone tools, and chert blade fragments, linking it to the Sindh Harappan network. 
  • The artefacts, like the chert blades (a type of stone), show long-distance trade and resource sharing, typical of the Indus Valley cities. 

Indus Valley Civilisation 

• About: The Harappan Civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), flourished around 2500 BCE along the Indus River.  
  • It was the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations alongside Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China.   
  • The IVC is classified as a Bronze Age civilization due to the discovery of numerous artefacts made from copper-based alloys.  
  • Daya Ram Sahni first excavated Harappa in 1921-22, and Rakhal Das Banerji began excavating Mohenjo-daro in 1922.  
    • Sir John Marshall, DG of ASI, was responsible for the excavations that led to the discovery of the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro sites of the IVC.  
• Phases:  As per NCERT, the total time span of the civilization ranges from 6000 BCE to 1300 BCE. Phases of the Civilization: 
  • Early Harappan (6000 BCE - 2600 BCE): This is the formative phase of the civilization. 
  • Mature Harappan (2600 BCE - 1900 BCE): The urban phase (Mature Harappan), which is the most prosperous phase of the civilization. 
  • Late Harappan (1900 BCE - 1300 BCE): The decadent phase, when the civilization began to decline. 

• Important Sites of Harappan Civilization: