News: A Harappan site has surfaced at Ratadiya Ri Dheri in Jaisalmer district, marking the first known Indus Valley settlement in Rajasthan’s arid region.
About Harappan Site of Ratadiya Ri Dheri
- Location: It is located 60 km from Ramgarh tehsil and just 17 km northwest of Pakistan’s Sadewala in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.
- Dating of site: Archaeologists date the settlement to the mature urban phase of the Indus Valley civilization i.e. 2600 to 1900 BCE.
- Importance of site:
- This is first-of-its-kind Harappan site in the remote sands of the Thar Desert.
- Until now, Pilibanga in northern Rajasthan was the state’s most prominent Harappan site, discovered by Italian Indologist Luigi Pio Tessitori in the early 20th century.
- This spot connects the dots between older Harappan sites in northern Rajasthan and Gujarat, filling a big gap on the archeological map.
- It backs up theories that changing rivers—and disappearing water sources—shaped where people could live back then.
- This is first-of-its-kind Harappan site in the remote sands of the Thar Desert.
- Findings
- A large quantity of fragmented pottery is scattered across the site, including red ware, slipped red ware, bowls, jars, and perforated vessels.
- Stone blades (8–10 cm) likely made from chert sourced from Rohri, Pakistan
- Terracotta cakes, grinding stones, clay and shell bangles, and other urban artifacts
- A kiln structure is discovered on the site’s southern slope, featuring a central column—similar to kilns found at Kanmer (Gujarat) and Mohenjo-daro.
- The wedge-shaped bricks are also unearthed, which likely served in constructing circular walls and kilns, along with typical Harappan-style bricks.
