Mineralogical characterization of raw materials from Dholavira, Gujarat, India and its geological and archaeological significance

Abstract

Dholavira was one among the five largest settlements (probably six) of the Harappan civilization during the third millennium BCE. The location of this site in a desolate corner of Khadir Island in Kachchh, Gujarat, India, speaks well of the planning and ingenuity showed by the Harappans for making it an urban and administrative centre. Excavations at this site between 1989 and 2005 brought to light a long and continuous occupation of nearly 1500 years (c. 3000-1500 BCE), which records the rise, culmination and fall of the Harappan Civilization. Evidences for various craft activities are found from the earliest levels onwards and the Harappans exploited various lithic raw materials for both utilitarian purposes and making ornaments. Kachhch and the Gujarat mainland are rich in raw material resources in general and agate-carnelian, limestone, various types of clay, copper-lead-silver and steatite, in particular. Dholavira contains both raw materials and finished artefacts, thus presents an ideal scenario to study. In the present study, we interpret the mineralogical characterization and probable provenance of the raw materials from different spatio-temporal contexts at the Dholavira site using techniques like XRD and SEM-EDS analysis. Samples of clay, stone raw materials and a few artefacts were selected from among the innumerable resources available at the site.