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Time of India
12-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
5,300-year-old Early Harappan settlement found near Lakhpat
Ahmedabad: A team of researchers has unearthed a 5,300-year-old settlement at Lakhapar village near Lakhpat in Kutch district, dating back to the Early Harappan period. The site is believed to have existed when Dholavira, a Harappan acropolis now a Unesco World Heritage site, was in its formative stages, say experts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The discovery is important due to its proximity to Juna Khatiya village, where over 125 Early Harappan-era graves were discovered in 2023. The discovery is part of a cluster of Early Harappan sites in Lakhpat that also included Padta, discovered in 2024 by the same group. "The site was identified around 2022 with the help of Narayan Jajani, former Sarpanch of Lakhapar village, due to the presence of a mound. After permission from the owner of the agricultural land, we carried out the excavation on both sides of the Gaduli-Lakhapar road in an area of around 3 hectares," said Dr Rajesh SV, project lead, along with Dr Abhayan GS, both assistant professors at the Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala. The researchers said that in Gujarat, there are two major sites associated with Early Harappan burial practices – Juna Khatiya, discovered by the University of Kerala, and Dhaneti by the MS University of Baroda – both in Kutch district. "While an associated population is yet to be identified in the case of Dhaneti, in the case of Juna Khatiya, it has direct links with the Lakhapar settlement from the same era and similar artefacts. The graves in Juna Khatiya were, in fact, the starting point for us to look for a settlement that may have buried its dead some distance away from the settlement," said Dr Rajesh. The Lakhapar site is near a rivulet, which may have provided the settlers with a perennial water source, said researchers. Some of the discoveries from the site include a large stone structure, a human burial site, along with a significant assemblage of pottery and artefacts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Some of the earliest pottery shards date back to 3,300 BCE, they added. "Particularly significant is the discovery of a distinctive Early Harappan ceramic tradition known as pre-Prabhas, previously reported from only three sites in Gujarat: Prabhas Patan, Datrana, and Janan. This rare ceramic type, characterised by specific shapes and composition, suggests the influence of regional chalcolithic communities during the Early Harappan period," said Dr Abhayan. What interested the researchers is Lakhapar site's close connection with other Early Harappan sites of the Gujarat region in terms of pottery and other artefacts – semi-precious stone beads made of carnelian, agate, amazonite, and steatite, as well as shell beads, shell bangles, copper objects, terracotta objects, grinding stones, hammer stones, lithic tools, and manufacturing debris. Stone blades made of chert indicate a close Sindh connection, added researchers. Some other finds, such as remains of domesticated animals – cattle, sheep, goat – along with fish bones and edible shell fragments, point to the diet and way of life for Early Harappans inhabiting the settlement. Experts have also collected some remains of plants for further analysis. Researchers said that the larger project in the region to find Early Harappan settlements – older than several of the better-known sites – is ongoing in collaboration with academic partners from Spain, USA, Japan, and Indian institutions such as KSKV Kachchh University, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Deccan College, and Archaeological Survey of India, among others. BOX Unique burial at site with ceramic remains The site is located around 1.5 km from Juna Khatiya, the site of over 125 Early Harappan-era graves. From Lakhapar, only one burial is found, which has skeletal remains in poorly preserved conditions. It is the only known burial with pre-Prabhas ceramics as burial goods. It is notable that Juna Khatiya has different era graves, giving an extensive idea of burial practices over 5,000 years ago in the region.
Indian Express
10-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
I went beyond the popular image of Kabir to create mine: Gulammohammed Sheikh
You joined the Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University of Baroda in 1955, within five years of its opening. Coming from a provincial town, Surendranagar, what was your experience like? It was amazing to be part of a like-minded community of artists and aspirants; to have the doors of our studios in the art school open, day and night. I had never imagined there could be a whole library full of books, only on art! The atmosphere in the college was liberal, which made newcomers like me feel at ease. Our teachers worked in the studios after class hours. We saw the seminal paintings of our teacher NS Bendre being painted. He gave demonstrations of oil painting and watercolour with such mastery, leaving us spellbound. Art History classes were conducted by artists themselves, except for Dean Markand Bhatt, who had studied it at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. He taught us Western art and aesthetics, while Bendre taught us Chinese art, and sculptor Sankho Chaudhuri, Egyptian and Mesopotamian art. You started your teaching career in Art History before you shifted to Painting. When I was a post-graduate student, there was an opening in the department to teach art history. The then Dean, Bendre, asked me if I would like to teach. It was a godsend offer as I was living on a paltry scholarship. I taught for three years before going to London in 1963. Upon my return, I taught again for 15 years till I moved on to head the Painting department. London played a role in igniting your interest in early painting traditions. The Painting Department at the Royal College of Art was adjacent to the Victoria & Albert Museum and students had free access. I used to eat lunch in the museum restaurant to avoid the bland fare in the college canteen, and on my way, I would see paintings in the Indian section. I was aware of the various schools of Indian painting, but a magical-looking Kota painting of a nocturnal jungle scene in the moonlight fascinated me. Robert Skelton, the Assistant Keeper of the Indian section, became a mentor. Writing my dissertation on Kota enabled me to have a closer look at the regional school of Rajasthan. During the summer vacation, I hitch-hiked in Italy to see the masters of the Renaissance. I was especially touched by the Sienese artists such as Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Sassetta. For them, painting was an act of love offered with humility and passionate conviction. I found them close to Indian painting in sensibility. After finishing my studies in London, I returned to India, mostly travelling overland. The three-month-long journey evoked greater love for the wanderings than I was already prone to. The year 1981 seems to be seminal, as you completed several important works. Yes, in that year I showed with artists such as Bhupen Khakhar, Vivan Sundaram, Nalini Malani, Jogen Chowdhury and Sudhir Patwardhan in the exhibition we called, 'Place for People'. Each of us was involved in exploring and focusing on the world we lived in. In that sense, several works were autobiographical. In my case, Speaking Street recalled memories of my childhood in a provincial town. Following it, a large painting, titled City for Sale, dealt with the irony of communal riots raging at one end, and on the other portrayed a cinema hall audience, totally oblivious of it. The Tree of Life (1996), which you painted for the Vidhan Bhavan in Bhopal, was the first time you took up painting on such a massive scale for a public building. Yes, I had long desired to make a mural in a public space, after I saw the cityscape, Effects of Good Government, by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in Sienna. The mural in the Legislative Assembly was 31-feet high and 21-feet wide. The idea was to cover a cultural tapestry of India with its multiplicity and diversity. The central motif of The Tree of Life represents the lives of people, both past and present, including glorious as well as turbulent periods. Then, Kabir appeared in your work. The beginning of the 1990s was a period of great turbulence, which needed a healing touch. Kabir was the answer. Instead of using just the popular rendition of Kabir as a Vaishnavite saint, I also searched other images of Kabir as prototypes to create mine. The man who said 'tera Saai(n) tujh me', indicated looking inwards, instead of seeking an answer in the outer world. You started with a small town. Then, you entered the belly of a city, and then you moved to the world. In a chance encounter I found a medieval map of the world — the Ebstorf mappa mundi — which I used as a basis for re-enacting the world. In the 20-odd years, many such maps were made to reframe the world. The use of a portable shrine or Kaavad served as an alternative to the easel painting. Its format allows multiple stories like a picture book unfolding gradually. The recent work, Kaarawaan, at its core, holds the idea of a journey, wherein I packed my favourite characters from history, mythology and the world of dreams. I painted within it all the artists, poets and thinkers whom I admire. The intention was to paint a civilisational ark carrying a world of humanity in the midst of highly turbulent waters.
