Cultural Continuity In Vadnagar Post-Harappan Era
Source: India’s oldest living city found in Vadnagar: multi-institution study (The Hindu, January 14, 2024)
- Discovering the Myth of the Dark Age: A collaborative research initiative by leading institutions has unveiled a significant link that challenges the notion of a cultural void in Vadnagar, Gujarat, following the Harappan era’s decline.
- Archaeological Findings and Historical Insights: Excavations led by teams from IIT Kharagpur, the ASI, and others have revealed a settlement dating back to 800 BCE. This period aligns with the age of the late Vedic Mahajanapadas and predates the emergence of Buddhism in the region.
- Climatic Impact on Human Settlements: The study suggests that the political landscape changes over three millennia and the repetitive influx of Central Asian combatants into India were possibly a consequence of climatic fluctuations, including variations in rainfall and drought conditions.
- Published Research: These groundbreaking findings are detailed in a recent paper, “Climate, human settlement, and migration in South Asia from early historic to medieval period: evidence from new archaeological excavation at Vadnagar, Western India,” featured in Quaternary Science Reviews, a renowned Elsevier journal.
Vadnagar: Unveiling History Through Layers of Time
- The Archaeological Saga: Vadnagar’s history is traced through seven cultural stages. These include the Mauryan period and subsequent eras such as the Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian. Notably, it has been a cradle of governance from the times of Achaemenid Empire’s provincial governance to the British colonial rule.
- Discovery of a Timeless Monastery: A significant discovery was an ancient Buddhist monastery. Excavations yielded a trove of artefacts. These ranged from pottery and metals like copper, gold, and silver, to ornate bangles. Significant among these finds were coin moulds from the reign of Greek king Appollodotus.
- Challenging the Dark Age Narrative: The transition from the Indus Valley Civilization’s fall to the Iron Age’s city-states like Gandhar has been enigmatic. However, Vadnagar’s evidence presents a continuous habitation within fortifications, making it one of India’s oldest living cities.
- A Testimony to Cultural Continuity: Vadnagar’s uncovered history might date back to 1400 BCE, aligning with the late Harappan period. If substantiated by radiocarbon dating, this could redefine the perceived ‘Dark Age’ and highlight a 5500-year-old cultural continuum in India.