Late Harappan Sites

Indus Valley Civilization (IVC): Late Harappan Phase (c. 1900 – 1300 BCE)

Daimabad

• Location
  • Situated in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra
  • Lies on the western edge of the Deccan plateau
• Significance
  • Southernmost site of the Indus Valley Civilization
  • Represents Harappan expansion into the Deccan region
  • Important for tracing cultural diffusion from Harappan core areas to Peninsular India
• Chronological Phases
  • Period I – Savalda culture (Pre-Harappan Chalcolithic)
  • Period II – Late Harappan culture
  • Period III – Daimabad-specific culture
  • Period IV – Malwa culture
  • Period V – Jorwe culture (Iron Age)
• Late Harappan Phase
  • Pottery:
    • Fine red ware with linear and geometric designs in black
    • Seals with Harappan script, inscribed potsherds
  • Tools and Objects:
    • Microlithic blades, stone and terracotta beads
    • Shell bangles, gold beads, terracotta measuring scale
    • Evidence of local copper smelting
  • Agriculture:
    • Crops: Millets, gram, moong, horse gram
  • Burials:
    • One Late Harappan burial, others belonging to later phases
• Daimabad-Specific Culture (Period III)
  • Pottery:
    • Black-on-buff/cream ware
  • Craft Activity:
    • Copper-smelting furnace found
  • Burials:
    • Three types:
      • Pit burial
      • Urn burial
      • Symbolic burial
    • Mostly infants and young individuals
  • Agriculture:
    • Similar to Late Harappan phase with addition of Hyacinth bean
• Notable Artefacts
  • Famous bronze sculptures (chariot, bull, elephant, rhinoceros)
    • Likely used as ritual or prestige objects
• Cultural Importance
  • Demonstrates Harappan cultural continuity into later Chalcolithic cultures
  • Serves as a bridge between northwestern urban traditions and peninsular Chalcolithic societies
  • Reflects long-distance trade and cultural interaction with the Harappan core zones

Navdatoli (Navadatoli)

• Location
  • Situated in West Nimar district, Madhya Pradesh
  • Located on the bank of the Narmada River, near Maheshwar
• Chronology
  • Belongs to the Chalcolithic period
  • Associated with the Late Harappan and Malwa culture
  • Inhabited through four distinct cultural stages
• Cultural Affiliation
  • Largest known settlement of the Malwa culture
  • Shows interactions with Harappan elements, especially in pottery and tools
• Habitation Features
  • Houses were circular or rectangular in shape
    • Circular houses made with wattle-and-daub construction
    • Evidence of post-holes suggests wooden supports
  • Floors were plastered with lime
  • Chulhas (hearths) and storage jars were found inside dwellings
  • Settlement pattern indicates semi-permanent village life
• Pottery and Artefacts
  • Black and Red Ware (BRW)
  • Painted Grey Ware (PGW) with geometric motifs
  • Variety of microlithic tools (flakes, blades, scrapers)
  • Use of copper tools in later stages
  • Pottery styles suggest continuity and interaction with Harappan cultural traditions
• Subsistence Practices
  • Evidence of domesticated animals: cattle, sheep, and goats
  • Likely practiced mixed farming and herding
  • Use of storage jars indicates food surplus and grain storage
• Significance
  • Provides insight into regional Chalcolithic life in central India
  • Serves as an important link between Harappan urban culture and Deccan Chalcolithic traditions
  • One of the earliest settlements in the Narmada Valley showing complex village life and craft activity

Kayatha

• Location
  • Located in Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh
  • Situated near the Chambal River on the Malwa Plateau
• Chronology
  • Dates to Chalcolithic period (c. 2400–2000 BCE)
  • Followed by Late Harappan influence
  • Later reoccupied in the Ahar/Banas culture phase
  • Abrupt break in occupation around 1800 BCE
• Cultural Significance
  • Type site of Kayatha Culture — the earliest Chalcolithic culture in Central India
  • Preceded the Malwa culture
  • Reflects early agrarian, craft, and metallurgical development
• Habitation Features
  • Houses made of mud and reed
  • Mud-plastered floors
  • Evidence of planned settlement layout
• Pottery
  • Fine, sturdy, wheel-made pottery
  • Buff and red wares with geometric designs
  • Pottery marks indicate local ceramic tradition
• Material Culture and Artefacts
  • Microliths made from locally available chalcedony
  • Copper tools: axes, chisels, bangles
    • Copper axes likely sourced from Ganeshwar
  • Ornaments made of agate, steatite, and carnelian beads
  • Terracotta figurines also recovered
• Faunal Remains
  • Bones of domesticated cattle and horses found
  • No evidence of grain remains, possibly due to poor preservation
• Significance
  • One of the earliest known Chalcolithic sites in Central India
  • Illustrates early use of copper and semi-precious stones
  • Important for understanding transitional phases between rural Chalcolithic life and urban Harappan contacts

Ahar

• Location
  • Situated on the banks of the Ahar River
  • In southeastern Rajasthan, near Udaipur
• Cultural Phases
  • Chalcolithic site (Ahar Culture / Banas Culture)
  • Also shows Late Harappan influence
• Habitation Features
  • Rectangular, square, and circular houses with single, double, or multi-room layouts
  • Houses constructed with stones and mud bricks
  • Walls plastered with mud
  • Evidence of planned domestic architecture
• Pottery
  • Distinctive Black-and-Red Ware (BRW)
    • Decorated with linear and dotted designs
  • Common shapes: bowls, bowls-on-stands, and vases
  • Pottery indicates regional ceramic style with Harappan parallels
• Subsistence Pattern
  • Agriculture: cultivation of wheat, barley, and possibly other cereals
  • Animal husbandry: evidence of domesticated animals
  • Hunting as a supplementary activity
• Material Culture and Artefacts
  • Terracotta objects, copper tools, and stone implements
  • Beads and ornaments from semi-precious stones
  • Tools made from copper and stone indicate early metallurgy
• Trade and External Contacts
  • Evidence of trade links with Harappan Civilization
    • Possibly exchanged copper, pottery, and beads
  • Part of the larger interaction sphere between Chalcolithic Rajasthan and Harappan urban centers
• Significance
  • Type site of Ahar/Banas culture
  • Illustrates regional Chalcolithic development with urban contacts
  • Important for understanding the spread of copper use and BRW culture in South Asia

Gilund

• Located in Rajsamand district, Rajasthan (Ahar-Banas culture).
• Largest site of the Ahar-Banas Chalcolithic complex.
• Contemporary with Late Harappan culture.
• Houses made of mud bricks and stone, with multi-room structures.
• Pottery: Black-and-Red Ware (BRW) with white painted designs.
• Artefacts: terracotta figurines, beads (agate, carnelian), copper tools, microliths.
• Seal-making workshop discovered – over 100 steatite seals and impressions.
• Economy based on agriculture (wheat, barley), animal husbandry, and hunting.
• Trade links with Harappans indicated by pottery and artefact similarities.
• Chronology: Occupied c. 3000–1700 BCE.

Lothal

• Location:
  • Located in Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, near the Bhogava River.
• Pre-Harappan Phase:
  • Initially a small village.
  • Gradually developed into an important port and industrial town.
• Economic Activities:
  • Became a centre of maritime trade.
  • Known for cotton and rice cultivation.
  • Developed a bead-making industry.
• Urban Planning:
  • City was divided into two parts:
    • Citadel (acropolis)
    • Lower town
  • Structures built with fire-dried bricks, lime, and sand mortar.
  • Evidence of a well-planned drainage system with soak pits and covered drains.
• Important Archaeological Findings:
  • Dockyard – One of the world’s earliest known dockyards; major maritime engineering feat.
  • Persian Gulf seals – Evidence of trade with West Asia (Mesopotamia).
  • Workshops:
    • Shell ornament maker’s shop
    • Bead maker’s shop
    • Metal worker’s shop
  • Fire altars – Indicate ritual activities or fire worship.
  • Terracotta figurine of house – Represents Harappan domestic architecture.
  • Warehouse – For storage of goods, linked to trade activity.
  • Merchant house – Indicates presence of wealthy trading class.
  • Impression of cloth on sealing – Signifies textile production and trade.
  • Twelve bathrooms in the citadel area – Reflect focus on public hygiene.
  • Ivory scale – Shows advanced decimal system; smallest-known decimal division in IVC.
• Trade Connections:
  • Connected to other cities via river routes.
  • Part of a coastal trade network linking Lothal–Dholavira–Sutkagan Dor on the Makran coast.
• Later Harappan Phase:
  • Continued habitation, but with a smaller population.
  • City became devoid of urban characteristics.
  • Trade and economic importance declined.
  • Inhabitants retained Harappan traditions in writing, pottery, and tools.

Rangpur

• Location:
  • Situated on the Saurashtra peninsula, Gujarat.
• Cultural Phases:
  • Mature and Late Harappan phases.
  • Also shows post-Harappan occupation.
• Architecture:
  • Use of acacia wood in construction.
• Artefacts and Findings:
  • Black and Red Ware (BRW) pottery and high-necked jars.
  • Dishes used for domestic purposes.
  • Evidence of shell working industry.
• Agriculture:
  • Plant remains of bajra (pearl millet), rice, and millet indicate a mixed cropping pattern.

Rojdi

• Location:
  • Situated in Rajkot district, Gujarat.
• Cultural Phases:
  • Belongs to the Mature Harappan, Late Harappan, and even Palaeolithic period.
• Architecture:
  • Houses were built on stone foundations.
  • No evidence of bricks used in construction.
• Pottery:
  • Presence of hard, red-ware pottery.
  • Some pottery pieces bear graffiti with Indus script signs (e.g., jar sign).
  • A short Harappan inscription has been found on pots.
• Metal Artefacts:
  • Flat axes made of copper or bronze have been discovered.

Bet Dwarka

• Location:
  • Situated on the coast of Gujarat, near present-day Dwarka.
• Period:
  • Belongs to the Late Harappan phase.
  • Estimated to date back to around 1500 BCE.
• Key Features:
  • Submerged port-city with evidence of fortification walls and stone anchors.
  • Suggests the presence of active maritime trade during the Late Harappan period.
• Findings:
  • A Late Harappan seal with Harappan script.
  • A three-headed animal motif, similar to those on Persian Gulf seals, indicating continued trade relations with the Gulf region.
• Cultural Significance:
  • Demonstrates that although core Harappan cities declined, urban elements like script, seals, specialized crafts, and trade persisted in some areas.
  • Bet Dwarka is considered a Late Harappan urban site, reflecting residual urbanism and commercial continuity beyond the Mature Harappan phase.

Desalpur

• Location:
  • Situated in Kutch district, Gujarat, near the Banni plains, about 25 km north of Bhuj and close to the Rann of Kutch.
• Period:
  • Mature and Late Harappan phase.
  • No Early Harappan phase present.
  • Post-Harappan occupation also continued.
• Urban Features:
  • A small fortified town.
  • Unique stone fortification walls with mud filling—unusual for Harappan towns, which typically used mud bricks.
  • Evidence of planned habitation with internal layout and housing structures.
• Artefacts and Material Culture:
  • Black and Red Ware (BRW) pottery.
  • Blade tools, terracotta beads, bangles, and cubical weights—typical of Mature Harappan material culture.
  • Traces of shell working, including unfinished shell bangles—suggesting craft specialization.
• Significance:
  • Demonstrates Harappan expansion into the arid western fringes.
  • Possibly played a role in coastal trade networks, given the presence of shell crafts.
  • Reflects urban continuity into the post-Harappan period despite the decline of core cities.

Chanhudaro

• Location:
  • Situated in Sindh, Pakistan.
• Period:
  • Belongs to the Mature and Late Harappan phases.
  • No evidence of Early Harappan phase.
• Settlement Features:
  • A small Harappan site with no fortification.
  • Mud-brick platforms used for construction.
  • Burnt-brick covered drains running along the streets indicate urban sanitation.
  • Pottery kilns were discovered, indicating local ceramic production.
• Economic and Craft Activities:
  • A prominent craft production center of the Indus Valley Civilization.
  • Evidence of bead-making industry using carnelian, agate, amethyst, and crystal.
  • Presence of a steatite bead factory.
  • Seal-making, shell working, and production of stone weights also occurred here.
• Significance:
  • Known for its specialized crafts rather than urban planning or political power.
  • Highlights the non-urban, industrial specialization aspect of the Harappan economy.

Amri

• Location:
  • Situated in Sindh, Pakistan, near the western bank of the Indus River, close to the Kirthar range.
• Chronology:
  • Pre-Harappan, Early Harappan, and Mature Harappan phases.
  • Late Harappan phase is less significant at this site.
• Settlement Features:
  • Structures made of mud-brick and stone.
  • Presence of cellular compartments possibly used for grain storage.
• Material Culture and Artefacts:
  • Chert blades, stone balls, bone tools, and fragments of copper and bronze.
  • Triangular terracotta cakes and microliths found.
  • Evidence of early craft activity.
• Pottery:
  • Wheel-made wares with geometric painted designs.
  • Found in both monochrome and polychrome styles.
• Pre-Harappan Amri Culture:
  • Noted for its distinct handmade pottery and rural settlement patterns.
  • Pre-dates the urban Harappan phase.
• Cultural Significance:
  • Shows stratigraphic transition from Amri culture to Harappan culture, helping trace the urbanization process.
  • Acts as a cultural and trade intermediary between the upland Baluchistan cultures and Indus urban centers.

Jhukar

• Location:
  • Situated in Sindh, Pakistan.
• Cultural Phase:
  • Represents a regional form of Late Harappan culture.
• Urban Features:
  • Urban characteristics of the Mature Harappan period disappeared.
  • Indicates a rural or de-urbanized phase.
• Pottery:
  • Shows continuity with Mature Harappan pottery styles, though with regional variations.
• Artefacts:
  • Stone weights and female figurines became rare, unlike earlier phases.
  • Circular stamp seal with geometric design but without Indus script.
• Trade and Economy:
  • Evidence of decline in long-distance trade and overall economic contraction.

Mitathal

• Location:
  • Situated in Bhiwani district, Haryana.
• Cultural Phase:
  • A village-type Late Harappan site.
  • Shows evidence of continued habitation into the Kushana period.
• Architecture and Habitation:
  • Mud-brick houses with domestic features.
  • A kitchen area with a chulha (hearth) has been found, indicating everyday domestic life.
• Later Period Finds:
  • Coins of the Kushana period were discovered, pointing to post-Harappan occupation and cultural continuity.

Alamgirpur

• Location:
  • Situated in Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh, on the left bank of the Hindon River.
• Cultural Phase:
  • Mature and Late Harappan site.
  • Easternmost extent of the Indus Valley Civilization.
  • No Early Harappan level found.
• Settlement Nature:
  • No fortifications or public buildings—indicating a rural or craft-based outpost.
  • Likely functioned as a satellite settlement rather than a major urban center.
• Archaeological Finds:
  • Burnt bricks, copper objects (in Late Harappan phase).
  • Typical Harappan pottery, terracotta bangles, beads, faience objects.
  • Evidence of textile production—spindle whorls and yarn impressions.
• Cultural Transition:
  • Harappan layer is overlain by PGW and NBPW deposits.
  • Indicates a break in occupation between Late Harappan and PGW phase.
  • Important site for tracing the cultural transition to early historic Ganga plains.

Bhagwanpura

• Location:
  • In Kurukshetra district, Haryana, near the seasonal Sarasvati River, close to Thanesar.
• Cultural Phases:
  • Shows overlap between Late Harappan and Painted Grey Ware (PGW) cultures (c. 1700–1000 BCE).
  • Crucial for understanding the Harappan–Vedic transition.
• Settlement Features:
  • Remains of mud houses, storage pits, and hearths.
  • Evidence of agriculture and domesticated cattle—semi-urban rural economy.
  • A large 13-room house made of baked bricks found.
• Craft and Material Culture:
  • Late Harappan phase shows craft activity—clay tablets, sherds with graffiti.
  • Artefacts include stone, bone, and terracotta objects.
  • PGW phase includes PGW pottery and cultural continuity with changes.
  • No iron artefacts found.
• Religious Structures:
  • One of the few PGW sites with a fire altar, suggesting early Vedic ritual practices rooted in Harappan traditions.

Ropar (Rupar)

• Location:
  • Situated in Rupnagar district, Punjab, on the left bank of the Sutlej River, near the Shivalik foothills.
• Cultural Sequence:
  • Associated with Mature Harappan, PGW, NBPW, and early historic phases.
  • No Early Harappan level found.
  • Notable for the transition from village to town during 600–200 BCE.
• Key Findings (Harappan Phase):
  • Terracotta bangles, steatite seals, chert blades, and storage jars.
  • Indicates a well-settled urban outpost connected to the broader Indus network.
  • Rectangular pit burials with pottery, copper tools, and animal bones—showing regional variations in burial practices.
• Key Findings (Post-Harappan):
  • Presence of PGW and NBPW pottery, punch-marked and copper coins.
  • An iron workshop, agate beads, and a Brahmi-inscribed seal found during the NBPW phase.
• Architecture:
  • Houses built using stone, mud-brick, and burnt brick materials.
• Geographical and Strategic Significance:
  • Functioned as a frontier Harappan settlement, facilitating resource extraction from the Himalayan foothills.
  • Enabled trade via the Sutlej River, linking upland and plains regions.
• Overall Importance:
  • Crucial site to study long-term settlement continuity and the transition from Harappan to Vedic cultures.

Harappa

• In Punjab, Pakistan on bank of Ravi River.
• Early, mature and late Harappan phase found.
• First site of IVC to be discovered.
• Urban culture sustained by surplus agricultural production and commerce.
• Trade with Sumer in southern Mesopotamia.
• Differentiated living quarters, flat-roofed brick houses, and fortified administrative or religious centers.
• City followed grid planning.
• Row of six granaries found.
• Burials:
  • Only place having evidenced of coffin burial.
  • Evidenced of fractional burial and coffin burial.
  • Grave goods
  • Cemetery-H of alien people.
• Citadel and fortified city.
• Seal, stone figurines (torso of naked male and female figure in dancing pose)
• Bronze smelting

Gumla

• Location:
  • Situated in the Gomal Valley, Pakistan.
• Cultural Phase:
  • Associated with Early Harappan and Mature Harappan phases.
• Key Findings:
  • Presence of a burnt deposit between the Early and Mature Harappan layers—suggests a major fire event that possibly marks a cultural transition.
  • Evidence of agricultural activity, indicating a flourishing agrarian economy.
• Significance:
  • Important for understanding settlement continuity and transition dynamics between Early and Mature Harappan phases.
  • Highlights the vulnerability of early settlements to natural or accidental disasters like fire.

Mundigak

• Location:
  • Situated in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
• Cultural Phases:
  • Shows evidence of Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Harappan occupation.
• Key Findings:
  • Painted Pottery featuring motifs like sacred fig leaves, tiger-like animals, and geometric designs.
  • Artefacts include:
    • Terracotta drains
    • Hump bulls (indicative of Harappan iconography)
    • Human figurines
    • Shaft-hole axes
  • From the Harappan phase:
    • Remains of a palace, a temple, and a city wall—pointing to an advanced urban structure and administrative complexity.
• Significance:
  • Highlights the Harappan expansion beyond the traditional Indus region into Afghanistan.
  • Acts as an important link in understanding Harappan interactions with Central Asian cultures.

Akhnoor / Manda

• In Akhnoor district, J&K on the bank of Chenab.
• Mature and Late Harappan.
• Northern most Harappan site.
• Harappan and Late Harappan site.
• BRW, red ware and grey ware.
• Artefacts:
  • Bangles,
  • potshards with Harappan writings and
  • bone arrow heads.
• Artefacts of Kushana period:- Pottery, terracotta figurines, bone arrow heads, iron daggers and copper rods.
• Source of timber for IVC sites.
• Akhnoor fort built by Raja Alam Singh in 1802.