Researchers unearth first confirmed Harappan settlement in Thar Desert

Researchers have unearthed the first confirmed Harappan settlement in Rajasthan's arid western region, revealing vital clues that are set to reshape the known boundaries of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation.

This marks the first evidence of the Indus Valley peoples’ presence in Rajasthan's deep desert, and is being seen as a vital link between known Harappan sites in northern Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The discovery was made at Raatadi Ri Dheri in the Jaisalmer district, a remote desert location nearly 60 km from Ramgarh tehsil and around 70 km from Sandhanawala in Pakistan, where too Harappan remnants had previously been identified.

The site was excavated by archaeologist Pankaj Jagani and the findings have been subsequently validated by experts from the University of Rajasthan and Rajasthan Vidyapeeth in Udaipur.

The artefacts recovered include classic Harappan material culture, red ware pottery, perforated jars, terracotta cakes, chert blades, and clay and shell bangles.

A kiln with a central column, wedge-shaped bricks and foundations consistent with the Harappan architectural patterns was also unearthed.

"This is a small but significant rural Harappan site, likely dating between 2600 BCE and 1900 BCE," said Dr Jeevan Singh Kharkwal, an archaeologist at Rajasthan Vidyapeeth.

"Its location and characteristics bridge an important archaeological gap between northern Rajasthan and Gujarat," he said.

Experts say the site's design elements, such as a kiln similar to those found at Kalibangan and Mohenjodaro, suggest a complex socio-economic system that extended well into what is today considered an uninhabitable desert.

Harappan kitchen and what they ate

These features point to a once-thriving hinterland that supported trade and artisanal production in the Indus network.

Dr Tamegh Panwar, a senior historian from Rajasthan's tourism and cultural department, called the find "historically significant".

"The site reflects the dynamics of Harappan rural settlements and their role in connecting urban centres via trade and resource integration," he said.

The discovery, which includes tools made of chert, a fine-grained stone sourced from Sindh and Rohri blade fragments, is further evidence of long-distance exchange and resource mobilisation across the civilisation's vast geography.

Archaeologists say the site adds an important dimension to the understanding of Harappan rural networks, especially in resource-scarce desert zones that had been largely overlooked in Indus Valley studies. It also opens the possibility of more Harappan settlements buried under Rajasthan's shifting sands.

A detailed research paper by Dr Kharkwal and Jagani has been submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal. If accepted, the site may gain global recognition as a keystone in Harappan studies.

With this find, Rajasthan has joined the expanding cartographic footprint of one of the world's earliest urban civilisations, offering a new lens to view its rural–urban dynamics, environmental adaptation, and inter-regional connectivity nearly 4,500 years ago.

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