UNESCO World Heritage SiteUNESCO Heritage
India

Dholavira

Harappan city in Gujarat, Bronze Age urban centre

Location

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Historical Context

About

Dholavira (Gujarati: ધોળાવીરા) is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern-day village 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of it. This village is 165 km (103 mi) from Radhanpur. Also known locally as Kotada timba, the site contains ruins of a city of the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Earthquakes have repeatedly affected Dholavira, including a particularly severe one around 2600 BCE.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Main Harappan occupation and decline

c. 2650 BCE to c. 2100 BCE

Severe earthquake

c. 2600 BCE

UNESCO inscription

27 July 2021

Local discovery by villager

early 1960s

Official discovery by ASI

1967-68

Excavations initiated under R. S. Bisht

1989

Field excavations (series)

1990-2005

Reservoir discovery

1998

Stepwell excavation

October 2014

Later reoccupation and continuity

c. 2100-1450 BCE

Stage II occupation

c. 3200-2600 BCE

Early occupation (Stage I)

c. 3500-3200 BCE

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Storage Structures

Storage JarsStorage Tanks
category

Defensive Structures

Defensive WallsCastlesRampartsGateways
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Water Management Features

ReservoirsWellsDamsIrrigation Canals
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Public and Civic Structures

Public BathsPlazasAdministrative Buildings
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Burial and Funerary Structures

GravesHemispherical TombsFunerary Structures
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Industrial and Craft Structures

WorkshopsSeal-making Areas
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Artistic and Decorative Features

StatuesSealsInscriptionsTerracotta Ornaments
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Domestic and Habitation Structures

CitiesTowns
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Transportation and Communication Structures

RoadsStreet SystemGateways
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

India

Coordinates

23.89° N, 70.21° E