Bulletin of the Indian Archaeological Society No. 28 1997-98 Editors K. N. Dikshit & K.S. Ramachandran O.K. Printworld {P} Ltd. New Delhi Rakhigarhi: A Harappan Metropolis in the Sarasvati-Drishadvati Divide AMARENORA NAni· In th Harappan dynamics, Rakhigarhi (29' 16' Nand meant Rakhikhas) conlllined both Early or Pre-Harappan ,760 10' E), in tehsil NamauJ, District Hissar, Haryana is and Harappan culture horizons; Rakhi Shahpur only wit­ 2 next only to Dholavira in Kutch (Gujarat). The site can be nessed the M:llure phase of Harappan , But in an appen­ approached from Delhi via Rohtak, Hansi and lind. lind, dix to hi s report on Milathal', he recorded, Rnkhi Shahpur besides being the nearest railhead for the site on Delhi­ as Rakhigarhi and saw them as 'twin sites', He missed Bhatinda section of the Northern Railway, provides me complelely the presence of the other three mounds noted shonest road link through Gulkani or Namaul. 11lere is a above. In the early seventies, SHak: Ram" paid a visit to regular Haryana Roadways bus service from lind and the site and reponed, besides other Harappan antiquities, a seal, presently boused in the Gurukul Museum at lhaijar Haasi to Rakhigarhi . Private conveyances are also ayail ~ able from Narnaul. The nearest guest house of the (Haryana). He too noticed Early or Pre-Harappan and Harappan elements at the sileo Sut in the early eighties a Irrigation department is at Rajthal. team of archaeologists from the Depanment of Archaeology and Museums, < Haryana noticed late . Over the Harappan mounds are the thickly populated Harappan elements here' which was later got endorsed by villages of Latc Mediaeval times. namely Rakhikhas Suraj Shan·, Thus the chronological framework of the stretching east to occupy the larger area of the mound and Harappan occupation al the site got enlarged. R.S. Bisht, the other contiguously situated Rakhi Shahpur covers observed earlier Pre-Harappan setllement in the north­ less. These settlements have largely caused irreparable western locality or.Rakhi Shahpur revenue limit', TIle damage to the site. but due to the timely action of the corpus of Indus seals and inscriptions included three seals Archaeological Survey of India, a fairly large and open from Rakhigarhi, IWO of them are regular Iype of seals area of the site could be saved and protected from further while the third is a clay lump bearing eouple of seal damage and encroachment. Three such mounds have been impressions!!. In recent years , two similar ones have been numbered as RGR I 10 RGR 3 while the largest and its picked up • one of them , a fragmentary terracotta cylin­ eastern extremilies are named RGR 4 and RGR 5 respec· drical seal , is quite significant. This has now been pub­ tively. lished' but the other fragmentary terracoua sealing is yet to be published. Besides sealing, Bishl collected a large Acharya Shagwan · Dev was the first to notice number of steatite beads and other miscellaneous items. Harappan relics here. Subsequenlly Suraj Shan con­ all belonging 10 the Harappan culture. J.P. Joshi and his 1 finned its Harappan nature in 1963.64 • Suraj 8han revis­ team noticed 137 Early Harappan and 109 Mature ited the site and aseertained that Rnkhigarhi (obviously he Harappan sites in the region lD, with their main attention ·Direaor, Institute of Archaeology, Archaelogical Survey of India, New Delhi . 40 PudtallvB 28 on Rakhigarhi II , Incidently, the Allchins consider this site The si te is In the drainage system of ancient l2 as second grade settlement based on the area of the sitc , Sarasvati-Drishdvati rivers. Fig. 1· The mean altitude whereas as per the calculation of the area marked on Tapo varies from 219 m to 221 m in the surrounding plains sheet (No. 53 C/3), the site extends over 105 hectares and extending over an area of 10 Ion radius. The alluvial has established the primacy of this site area-wise. plains in the neighborhood, with occasional patches of Apparently, the status of provincial capital assigned to the sands either exposed or occurring at shallow depths, show site by Suraj Shan!) and Lal seems'" to be well found . genlie slope form north-east to south-west. The nature of Other excavated sites of the region like Mitathal, Siswal, the soil is mostly alkaline and the ground water is brack­ and Banawali IS are subordinate settlements in the ish. The source of potable water lies mainly in the exist­ drainage system of ancient Sarasvati-Drishadvati rivers. ing or old stream courses or near other water sources. For lITE PlAN SIIOWING DIST1WIUT1ON or HARAPPAN MOUNDS, ATRAKHIGARm DIS'O'. HlSSAR,IIARYANA - -..~ BED Fig RaJchigarhi: A Harappan Metropolis in the Sarasvati·Drishadvati Divide 41 potable water a few wells in the village can be seen locat· materials. copper fragments. terracotta cakes and ed near the meandering channels of old streams. On the mushtikas etc. were collected. The excessive concentra­ south-western comer of the mound lies a shallow depres­ tion of telTacoUa cakes including mushtikas at the site sion or lake-like feature which was watered from both suggest intensive involvement of the people in their craCt north-west and nonh-east side. perhaps creating an activity. impression of a confluence in a ncient times. Incidentl)'. on the southern periphery of RGR 4 and S lies an elon­ RGR 3, oVBlish on plan rises to B height of 12 m from gated watershect, stretching east-west. These channels. the sunounding plains. The parallel valley-like forntation together with those located at intervals in the easterly vil­ secn on the topo sbeet betwccn RGR 2 and RGR 3 have lages of Gulkani and Milakpur are in alignment and pos­ now been partially altered in recent times by raising an sibly in ancient times a river was flowing along the south­ earthen barrier across the mound towards the nonhern ern periphery of RGR 4 & S. As per the existing belief slope with the result a pool had formed for sundry usage. the site was located on the right bank of Drishadvati. we As a matter of fact it is going to increase the moisture and may associate this palacCKhannel with that perennial create adverse effect on the cultural deposits of the river of yore. adjoining mounds. Recently, it was dcsilted and its refuse was dumped on either slopes of the mounds, thus affccl­ RGR I, stretching west to cast is 6 m high from the ing the original contour of the mounds. Further damage is surrounding plains and is on the northern extremities of caused by cutting more than knee-deep long trench acros~ RGR 3. Il is ovalish in shape. showing overlapping fea­ the northern periphery of the mound. There on the top ture of a twin mound. of which the western portion is exists a grave. under worship, of the late medieval times, higher than the eastern portion and latter merges gently maintained by the local Will Board. They have further with the surrounding plains towards the easlern side. The leased out a portion of the mound on the north· western surface shows, scanty patches of a rather Ihin vegetal slope and allowed ruthless leveling and scooping of cul­ cover. Interve"ing barren patches were strewn with liny tural dcposils for the construction of subterranean ruedi· red ware sherds; the western and southern slope of Ihe lation chamber. Similarly, the entire eastern and southern mound were found scattered with mushtikas fragmenl's slopes of the mound have been encroached upon by the along with terracolta cakes. man with pot shenk The villagers. lncidently. in one of the cenanl cuttings on the over all surface features gave an impression of a burial eastern fringe was noticed more Ihan twenty courses of mound. Currently, the villagers use the slope of the burnt-bricks and equal number of courst:s in mud· bricks mound for raising memorial structures; a couple of them raised side by side; these in a!1 probability could be two can be seen even now. phases of construction in the fortification wall. RGR 2. largcr than I and 3 figures on the topo sheet RGR -4 and 5 contiguously interlocked, are heavily indicating a relative height of 14 m. It is nearly trapezoid encroached upon by the people of Rakhikh .. and Rakhi in sh.pe(PI.I). However its ridge, like castern fringe gen­ Shahpur. Streching east-west, the two together. a maxi­ tly rises from nonh to south. possibly indicating covering mum height of 17 m as whh one unit is deceptively oval­ remnents concealed of a fonification wall. TIle southern ish on ptan and consists of a number of undations of vary­ and western fringes have been badly encroached upon by ing sizes. Towards the south-western ponion of the vill.gers of Rakhi Shahpur. The nonhern portion of the mound an overhanging cliff-like section provides mound ex.hibits relatively better preserved fealures of a glimpses of cullural deposit. A massive mud-brick fortifi · possible gateway and baslions. The north-eastern comer cation wall with successive mushtika beddings. overlain shows a majestic bastion. strengthened externally by radi­ by successive mud-floors, occupies a major space in me ating spoke-like earthen buttresses, while the correspond­ said cutting. The mushtilea bedding IS reminiscent of what ing bastion on nonh - western side is of low profile, seen was noticed in the cuttings of a street at Kalibangan exca­ merging with other surface features. Between the two vations" . Next to this wall. was noticed a burnl·brick bastions lies the residue of screen-walls projecting in drain. opposite directions, giving veiled appearance of skillfully conceived entrance.