Kalibangan – Ancient City Of India

Kalibangan is an ancient city located in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It was one of the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, which thrived in the region from approximately 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. The city was discovered by archaeologists in 1953 and since then has been the subject of extensive excavation, revealing a wealth of information about the people who lived there, their way of life, and the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Location and Discovery

Kalibangan is located on the left bank of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, which is now a dry riverbed but was once a major watercourse of the Indus Valley Civilization. It is situated approximately 205 kilometers (127 miles) from the city of Bikaner in Rajasthan. The site was discovered in 1953 by B. B. Lal, who was then the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Excavations

Excavations at Kalibangan have revealed that the city was inhabited during the Mature Harappan Phase of the Indus Valley Civilization, which lasted from approximately 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. The site has been extensively excavated, revealing a well-planned city with a fortified citadel, a lower town, and a sophisticated drainage system.

The citadel is located on the western side of the site and is the highest point of the city. It is surrounded by a massive mud-brick wall, which is over 4 meters (13 feet) thick at the base and rises to a height of approximately 7 meters (23 feet). Within the citadel, there are several large structures, including a granary and a public bath. The lower town is located on the eastern side of the site and is separated from the citadel by a wall.

The houses in Kalibangan were made of mud bricks and had several rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Each house had a private well for drinking water. The city had a sophisticated drainage system, with covered drains that ran beneath the streets and connected to a larger sewer system.

Artifacts

Excavations at Kalibangan have uncovered a large number of artifacts, including pottery, jewelry, terracotta figurines, and seals. The pottery found at the site is typically red or black in color and is decorated with geometric patterns or animal motifs. Some of the pottery also has inscriptions, which are still undeciphered.

One of the most significant finds at Kalibangan is a large number of seals, which were used for stamping and identifying goods. The seals are made of steatite, a soft stone that is easy to carve. They are typically rectangular in shape and have a variety of images and inscriptions. Some of the inscriptions are in the Indus script, which is still largely undeciphered.

Another important find at Kalibangan is a ploughed field, which is believed to be the earliest evidence of ploughing in the Indian subcontinent. The field is divided into squares and is bordered by mud-brick walls.

Way of Life

Based on the artifacts and structures found at Kalibangan, archaeologists have been able to reconstruct the way of life of the people who lived there. The city was a center of trade and commerce, as evidenced by the large number of seals and the presence of a granary. The people of Kalibangan were skilled craftsmen, as demonstrated by the pottery, jewelry, and terracotta figurines found at the site.

The people of Kalibangan were also involved in agriculture. The ploughed field suggests that they were engaged in the cultivation of crops, such as wheat and barley. The city had a sophisticated drainage system, which