GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF HARAPPAN SETTLEMENTS IN WESTERN AND , Sayantani Neogi* & Charles French – University of Cambridge Land, Water and Settlement Project DIRECTORS: C.A PETRIE & R.N SINGH Distribution of the Harappan sites in Haryana and western UP, with location of study areas; (1), and (2) and and Burj (3).

The geoarchaeological survey team near Rakhigarhi, March 2010 with Harappan layers North-west South Asia marked by the darker horizons behind.

Introduction Observations and discussion This poster presents the preliminary results of a geoarchaeological MASUDPUR BURJ analysis of the relationship between sites, rivers, floodplains, associated land-use and the nature of on-site activities at a series of selected sites during the Harappan and Painted Grey Ware cultural phases in north-western India.

The main methods being used for B this study are geoarchaeological survey with associated specific site A investigations and soil micro- Various profile C morphology. The sites involved are A series of profiles observations Alamgirpur in the state of Uttar investigated during from in and around Burj (B) indicate Pradesh; Sampolia Khera, geoarchaeological that lower-lying areas in the landscape Bhimwada Jodha close to the village survey indicate were probably continually affected by of Masudpur, and Burj, all of which alluvial aggradation slow, seasonal deposition of overbank are in the modern state of Haryana. in and around the flood deposits. These are probably site of Sampolia Khera. To the north associated with monsoonal rains and This work is one component of the and southeast, these are directly flooding leading to the seasonal UKIERI funded Land, Water and accumulating on low velocity, sandy aggradation of alluvium (very fine sand and silt) (C). The areas of higher Settlement Project , which is channel fills now surviving as low ground, either sand dunes or probably investigating the relationship relief ridges or levees. But on the surviving remnants of former infilled between environmental constraints northern margin, there is one area river channels surviving as sand and human responses in northwest with in situ palaeosol survival, and alluvial accumulation (A) intermixed levees, were targeted for settlement India between 2000 and 300 BC. with Harappan pottery sherds, and also agricultural exploitation (in probably indicative of post-Harappan pre-Harappan, Harappan and post- Acknowledgements alluviation and cultivation practices. Harappan times). The authors would like to thank the project directors, Dr. R.N. Singh and Dr. C.A. Petrie Micromorph. for their guidance and support. We would sampling, S-C Trench especially like to thank Mr. Vikas Pawar for his excellent contribution to the fieldwork. We would like to thank Mr. K.N. Srivastava, Dr. Gautam Sengupta (Director Generals, Archaeological Survey of India [ASI]) and especially Dr. Subhra Pramanik (Director of Excavations and Explorations ASI) for D granting us permission to carry out this field research. We have been given support by Alamgirpur: general view Prof. Sita Ram Dubey, head of Department of Soil micromorphology (D, E) from Alamgirpur shows AIHC and Archaeology, BHU. the site to be located in a braided plain. There is evidence of weathered broken up silt made mudbricks in a humified silty-sandy bioturbated soil matrix along with phytoliths, amorphous organic mineral components, dirty clay coatings and Email- [email protected] orangish mottles in between suggesting wetting and drying, floods with little in situ accumulation of E occupational layers.