HVK Archives: Aryan civilisation may become 'bone' of contention
Aryan civilisation may become 'bone' of contention - The Indian Express
Express News Service
()
10 December 1995
Title : Aryan civilisation may become `bone' of
contention
Author : Express News Service
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : December 10, 1995
An innocous animal bone, found at the Harappan site of
Kuntasi, seven km from the Gulf of Kutch, may destroy the
firmly held beliefs about the Harappan and Aryan
civilisations, according to archeologists here.
The bone in contention, which was earlier believed to be
that of the `onegar' or wild ass, commonly found in the
area. has turned out to be that of a domesticated horse
after tests conducted by the archeo-zoologists at the
Deccan College, Pune. It was discovered during
-excavations carried out between 1978 and 1990. The
archeo zoologists of the College, who assisted the
State's Department of Archeology in the digging,
confirmed after the tests that the bone, though similar
in structure, belonged to the domesticated horse family,
the 'eqqus cabalus'.
So far it was believed that the Aryans, who allegedly
destroyed the Harappan civilisation, brought the horses
to this continent and that they did not exist during the
Harappan civilisation.
The discovery of a horse's remains at the excavation site
in Malia taluka may very well question the identity of
the Aryans, according to Dr A M Chitalwala,
Superintending Archeologist, Western region, based at
Rajkot. "We may have to ask whether Aryans, whose exact
identity is yet to be proved despite excavations in
central Asia. could have been Harappans themselves - a
hypothesis unexplored so far."
The radio carbon' dates of the bones put the period at
2300 BC. Similar bones found at Surkotada in Rapar
district, now analysed, have also been proven to be that
of a domesticated horse. Though a deeper study of the
findings would now have to be carried out to examine the
new hypothesis, Dr Chitalwala says, "We don't have to
believe in the imports theory any more". The reference
is to the earlier theories, first moulded by John
Marshall after the excavations of Mohen-jo-Daro in the
1920s. who gave the idea that a sudden outburst of
urbanisation in the Sind like that existed in West Asia
earlier, must have come from outside. However, sites at
Kotdizhi and Kaliba in Pakistan and Banavali in India
have now revealed pre-Harappan levels, indicating a
civilisation th at developed from within and did not come
from outside, says Chitalwala.
Kuntasi itself, a mound measuring 150 by 125 metres and
four metres high, has been found to be a trading
settlement, as the archeologists have found remains of a
landing platform 30 metres long, warehouses and
workshops. The Harappans of Kuntasi manufactured
pottery, copper articles, bangles and beads made of agate
and carnellian and lapis lazuli, the last of which was
brought to Kuntasi as a raw material from Badakshan in
Afghanistan.
Similar articles found in Oman have strengthened the
assumption that the port town was a sort of trading
emporium and an active port when the waters of the Gulf
touched Kuntasi.
Large interconnected rooms for workers, a large communal
kitchen and workshops have led to the theory that Kuntasi
was not a regular Harappan settlement but meant to house
artisans who crafted the wares. Two cultural phases have
been identified at Kuntasi. The lower phase, dated
around 2200 BC, at the end of which, by 1900 BC, the
trade seems to have declined.
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