Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have made a breakthrough discovery of tracing 3000 years old Iron Age remains, the earliest to be found in the presently arid Rann of Kutch and Thar Desert. A period considered to be archaeologically silent due to lack of evidence and was called ‘Dark Age”, has now been found to be locales of human habitation after the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization due to climate change and water deprivation.
In the Kutch region the Harappan remains were found only on rocky islands. The Rann and the Thar till now were devoid of any sign of continued human settlement. “Explorations in the coastal settlement of Karim Shahi region of the Rann south of the desert, unearthed pottery and charcoal which when dated by means of optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon methods revealed active human habitation from Early Iron Age to Early Historic (3100–2300 years) time. Evidences of Historic to Medieval (~1500–900 years old) settlement are also been discovered at Vigakot in the Thar Desert”.
Apart from artefacts like pitcher, jars and bull figurines, numerous animal remains like bones, teeth etc. have also been recovered which helped in reconstructing social subsistence pattern.
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