5,300-year-old Early Harappan settlement found near Lakhpat
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The discovery is important due to its proximity to Juna Khatiya village, where over 125 Early Harappan-era graves were discovered in 2023. The discovery is part of a cluster of Early Harappan sites in Lakhpat that also included Padta, discovered in 2024 by the same group.
"The site was identified around 2022 with the help of Narayan Jajani, former Sarpanch of Lakhapar village, due to the presence of a mound. After permission from the owner of the agricultural land, we carried out the excavation on both sides of the Gaduli-Lakhapar road in an area of around 3 hectares," said Dr Rajesh SV, project lead, along with Dr Abhayan GS, both assistant professors at the Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala.
The researchers said that in Gujarat, there are two major sites associated with Early Harappan burial practices – Juna Khatiya, discovered by the University of Kerala, and Dhaneti by the MS University of Baroda – both in Kutch district. "While an associated population is yet to be identified in the case of Dhaneti, in the case of Juna Khatiya, it has direct links with the Lakhapar settlement from the same era and similar artefacts.
The graves in Juna Khatiya were, in fact, the starting point for us to look for a settlement that may have buried its dead some distance away from the settlement," said Dr Rajesh.
The Lakhapar site is near a rivulet, which may have provided the settlers with a perennial water source, said researchers. Some of the discoveries from the site include a large stone structure, a human burial site, along with a significant assemblage of pottery and artefacts.
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Some of the earliest pottery shards date back to 3,300 BCE, they added.
"Particularly significant is the discovery of a distinctive Early Harappan ceramic tradition known as pre-Prabhas, previously reported from only three sites in Gujarat: Prabhas Patan, Datrana, and Janan. This rare ceramic type, characterised by specific shapes and composition, suggests the influence of regional chalcolithic communities during the Early Harappan period," said Dr Abhayan.
What interested the researchers is Lakhapar site's close connection with other Early Harappan sites of the Gujarat region in terms of pottery and other artefacts – semi-precious stone beads made of carnelian, agate, amazonite, and steatite, as well as shell beads, shell bangles, copper objects, terracotta objects, grinding stones, hammer stones, lithic tools, and manufacturing debris. Stone blades made of chert indicate a close Sindh connection, added researchers.
Some other finds, such as remains of domesticated animals – cattle, sheep, goat – along with fish bones and edible shell fragments, point to the diet and way of life for Early Harappans inhabiting the settlement. Experts have also collected some remains of plants for further analysis.
Researchers said that the larger project in the region to find Early Harappan settlements – older than several of the better-known sites – is ongoing in collaboration with academic partners from Spain, USA, Japan, and Indian institutions such as KSKV Kachchh University, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Deccan College, and Archaeological Survey of India, among others.
BOX
Unique burial at site
with ceramic remains
The site is located around 1.5 km from Juna Khatiya, the site of over 125 Early Harappan-era graves. From Lakhapar, only one burial is found, which has skeletal remains in poorly preserved conditions. It is the only known burial with pre-Prabhas ceramics as burial goods. It is notable that Juna Khatiya has different era graves, giving an extensive idea of burial practices over 5,000 years ago in the region.
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