By : Satyaki Paul
On July 27, 2021 the archaeological site of Dholavira received the UNESCO world heritage site tag. This Harrapan site was on the UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014.
Dholavira was discovered in 1968 by archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi from Kutch district of Gujarat. The site’s excavation between 1990 and 2005 under the supervision of archaeologist Ravindra Singh Bisht uncovered the ancient city, which was a commercial and manufacturing hub for about 1,500 years before its decline and eventual ruin in 1500 BC. In current context, Dholavira became the fourth site from Gujarat and 40th from India to make the list, it is the first site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in India to get the tag.
The site Dholavira is mired with unique characteristics, such as its water management system, multi-layered defensive mechanisms, extensive use of stone in construction and special burial structures. Further, this site also has the artistic feature associated with the city – artefacts of various kinds such as copper, shell, stone, jewellery of semi-precious stones, terracotta, gold, ivory have been found at the site. The city was also linked to the inter-regional trade links associated with Dholavira, have also been acknowledged as contributing to the shared heritage of humanity. Though it was excavated recently, the Dholavira site has remained free from encroachment in historical periods as well as in the modern era. Renowned archaeologist R.B. Bisht opined that the UNESCO listing became possible because the site was found free from any kind of encroachment, a rarity in India.Since the excavation at the site, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has developed a museum here. In its prime time, Dholavira was a village with a population of around 2,000. Near the ancient city is a fossil park where wood fossils are preserved. Nonetheless, if we look into the UNESCO list, this is the Indian second site to be included in the world heritage list this month (in the 44th session of UNESCO) after the Ramappa Temple at Palampet in Telangana’s Warangal district.