Rakhigarhi, located about 150 kms from Delhi is one of the five iconic archaeological sites besides Hastinapur, Sivasagar, Dholavira and Adichanallur.
In a significant discovery, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found wide roads, a drainage system, multi-tier houses and possibly a jewellery-making unit through excavation at Rakhigarhi village in Haryana's Hisar. These findings go on to suggest that a meticulously planned Harappan city thrived there.
With the excavation of a possible 5000-year-old jewellery making factory, this is one of the biggest discoveries made by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which has been working in Rakhigarhi village in Haryana for the last 32 years.
In a tweet, ANI quoted Sanjay K Manjul, the joint director general of ASI, as saying that the Rakhigarhi archaeological site has seven mounds. He added, "Similar excavations have happened before and this is the third phase." The Rakhigarhi village in the state's Hisar district is one of the oldest archaeological sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
Read | Haryana: Archaeological Survey of India visits ancient site of Rakhigarhi in Hisar
Rakhigarhi village, located about 150 kilometres from Delhi is one of the five iconic archaeological sites. This was mentioned by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her budget speech in February 2020. Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Sivasagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat, and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu are the other sites.
In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that these sites would be developed with on-site museums. About a month ago, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy had said that the mounds number 6 and 7 at Rakhigarhi were among the 19 sites identified by the ASI to be notified as 'sites of national importance'.
What has been found in the excavation
Rakhigarhi, a sleepy village in Hisar district of Haryana was discovered by archaeologists in 1998.
Following a three-year excavation, ASI discovered a cluster of seven mounds from Rakhigarhi archaeological site.
The excavations at the archaeological site revealed framework of multi-tier houses, lanes and a drainage system.
Even graveyards have been discovered at the Rakhigarhi excavation site by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Besides, a space that could have been a possible 5000-year-old jewellery-making unit has also been discovered.
Three of the seven mounds have yielded copper and gold jewellery, terracotta toys and thousands of clay pots and seals.
Significantly, mound seven yielded around 60 burials in the previous excavations including two female skeletons.
The DNA samples from the skeletons have been sent for further analysis, say ASI officials.
How important is this discovery and what it means
The discoveries made from the excavation of the site could point to the existence of a well-planned Harappan city.
Rakhigarhi archaeological site is believed to be the largest surviving Harappan site, leaving behind Mohenjodaro.
In 2013, the second round of excavations began and it was suggested that the site could be the largest surviving Harappan site.
The location piqued archaeologists' interest once more in 2021, with four more mounds uncovered across 350 hectares.
Mohenjodaro, which covers 300 hectares, was formerly thought to be the largest Harappan city discovered in the country.
Additional director general of ASI, Dr Manjul said a lot of work was done in Sinauli, Hastinapur, and Rakhigarhi in last 20 years.
Dr Sanjay Manjul added that the people of Rakhigarhi may have been the ancestors of the people Hastinapur.
Most of the evidence and artefacts found so far date back to the mature Harappan period, which is nearly 5,000 years old.
ASI has made a lot of discoveries in the last two months which points to the civilisation progressing steadily towards development.
An agreement is in process between the ASI and Haryana government, under which antiquities will be displayed in museum.
There is an adjacent under-construction museum being built by the state at a cost of Rs 23 crore.
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 "Rakhigarhi archeological site has 7 mounds")
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