Juna Khatiya Site

Why in news? Recently, A shell bangle, pottery fragments, stone knives, and even human skeletal remains were discovered in a 16-hectare stretch on the borders of Khatiya village in Gujarat’s Kutch district.

About:

• Juna Khatiya is an Early Harappan burial site located in Lakhpat Taluka of Kachchh district in Gujarat.
• Since 2018, archaeologists have discovered 500 graves at the site.
• The cemetery is believed to be 5,000 years old and belongs to the 'pre-urban' phase of the Harappan
• Site contains biggest Early Harappan cemetery documented in India so far.
• Other Harappan sites in Gujarat: Lothal, Surkotada, Dholavira etc.
• Major Findings
  • Burial structures are made of dressed sandstone and majority of them are rectangular in plan followed by oval or circular ones.
  • Painting on Reserved Slip Ware jar is peculiar feature noticed.
  • Another distinctive feature includes beakers and other smaller vessels, found within larger vessels.

Harappan Civilisation:

• The Harappan civilisation, one of the oldest in the world, flourished along the banks of the river Indus from 5,000 BC to 1,000 BC.
• The 2,500-year-long period from 5,000 BC to 2,600 BC is known as the 'pre-urban' Harappan phase, while between 2,600 BC and 1,900 BC is the 'urban' Harappan phase.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/kutch-harappan-graveyard-team-works-to-unlock-a-mystery-life-and-times-of-those-buried-8623304/