Chandigarh: A major new project of excavation at Kunal in district Fatehabad has been initiated by Haryana department of archaeology and museums in collaboration with the Indian archaeological society, New Delhi.
Kunal being one of the earliest Harappan sites in Haryana, the excavation aims at bringing out the earliest material culture of the site which might push the history of the civilization back by over a thousand years. It has made a great contribution in the early Harappan studies in Indian sub-continent and will definitely open new prospects in future researches on formation and antecedent stages of Classical Harappans.
Giving details, Sumita Mishra, principal secretary, department of archaeology and museums, said that a memorandum of understanding would be signed between Indian archaeological society, New Delhi and the Haryana department of archaeology and museums for undertaking archaeological excavation at Kunal.
She said that Kunal (290 30′ N Lat. and 750 41’E Long.) is located in Tehsil Raita in district Fatehabad on the banks of now dried up river course of ancient mighty river Saraswati. The core area of the settlement is three-four acres though site expands to nine acres.
The excavation was first conducted under Haryana state archaeology department during the year 1985-86. The previous excavations have provided significant traits of early Harappan culture in our subcontinent at Kunal for the very first time in the history of Harappan studies.
Misra said that a large number of precious antiquities like silver objects and gold beads in early Harappan fabric pot were reported by the excavator in one of the house from Period ‘IC’ which is exceptional of its kind in early Harappan sites of our sub-continent. Copper smelting furnace was also found along with large number of copper objects and also typical classical Harappan crucible (Terracotta) was found.
Source : The Times Of India
