Location:
- Lakhapar village, Kutch district, Gujarat
- Excavation led by University of Kerala’s Department of Archaeology
Time Period:
- 3300–2600 BCE (Early Harappan Phase)
Key Discoveries
- Unique Human Burial:
- No architectural markers
- Burial directly in a pit
- Earliest known burial in Gujarat featuring Pre-Prabhas pottery
- Pre-Prabhas Pottery:
- Associated with Chalcolithic Saurashtra cultures (e.g., Prabhas Patan, Datrana)
- Indicates cross-cultural interactions
- Harappan-style Architecture:
- Use of sandstone and shale
- Evidence of planned construction and social organization
- Habitation Layers & Ceramics:
- Similarities with Early Harappan sites in Sindh
- Indicates trans-regional cultural exchange
Archaeological Context
- Nearby Juna Khatiya site: Contains 197 Early Harappan burials
- Together, Lakhapar + Juna Khatiya suggest a large Early Harappan network in Gujarat
Significance of the Discovery:
- Expands Harappan Geography:
- Shows Harappan influence deep into Western India
- Links Chalcolithic and Harappan Cultures:
- Through Pre-Prabhas ceramics and burial practices
- Challenges Linear Historical Models:
- Indicates coexistence of foragers, agro-pastoralists, and proto-urban societies
- Fills Gaps in Harappan Burial Data:
- Most existing data are from Mature Harappan phase
- This adds rare early insights into funerary practices
- Strengthens Cultural Chronology:
- Reinforces Gujarat’s role as a cultural bridge between Sindh and peninsular India
