Kalibangan

1. Kalibangan Kalibangan is an ancient site of the Indus Valley Civilization in northern Rajasthan state. It is the third excavated cityof Harappan sites and the earliest town destroyed by earthquake. It has given the substantiation of both pre-Harappan culture in the lower layer and Harappan Civilization in the upper layer. Kalibangan flourished for at least 450-600 years. It is distinguished by its exclusive fire altars and is considered as "worlds earliest indicated ploughed field". Etymology of Kalibangan The name of Kalibangan has been derived from two words: ‘Kali’ and ‘Bhangan’. ‘Kali’ means black and ‘bhangan’ means bangle. Kalibangan was, in fact, named after the myriad pieces of terracotta bangles excavated here. History of Kalibangan Kalibangan place was discovered by an Italian Ideologist and linguist Luigi Pio Tessitori. It is also recognized as being established in the land of triangle at the joining of Drishadwati and Saraswati Rivers together. It was excavated between 1960-61 and 1968-69. After India's independence, the major Harappan cities together with the Indus became a part of Pakistan and Indian archaeological sites.

2. Culture of the Indus Valley survived at the site from the proto- Harappan age to the Harappan age. This earlier phase is labelled ‘Kalibangan-I’. The correspondence of pottery relates Kalibangan-I with the Sothi culture because a lot of this pottery was later discovered at Sothi village in North Western India. Location of Kalibangan Kalibangan is located at Pilibangan, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. It is located on the southern banks of the Ghaggar River. It is 205 kilometers away from Bikaner. Features of Kalibangan Kalibangan in Rajasthan has given the proof of the earliest (c. 2800 BC) ploughed agricultural field ever revealed through a quarry. Similar ploughing is used for two simultaneous crops in this area even today. The unique mark of this early phase is pottery, characterized by six fabrics labelled A, B, C, D, E and F, which were later identified also at Sothi in North Western India. Small blades of chalcedony and agate, shell, carnelian, terracotta and copper, bangles of copper, terracotta objects like a toy-cart, wheel and a broken bull, a bone point etc. have been found here. The best terracotta figure from Kalibangan is that a ‘charging bull’ which is considered to be a sign of the "practical and powerful folk art of Harappan Age". Several seals have been found dating to this period. Most significant is a cylindrical seal, representing a female figure between two male figures, fighting or frightening with spears.