World Heritage Identification Number: 1645
World Heritage since: 2021
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇳 India
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Dholavira: An Ancient Urban Center of the Harappan Civilization
The ancient city of Dholavira, located on the arid island of Khadir in the Indian state of Gujarat, offers a fascinating glimpse into the past, providing valuable insights into the Harappan Civilization that flourished between approximately 3000 and 1500 BCE. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, this archaeological site is one of the best-preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The ancient city of Dholavira, the southern centre of the Harappan Civilization, is sited on the arid island of Khadir in the State of Gujarat. Occupied between ca. 3000-1500 BCE, the archaeological site, one of the best preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia, comprises a fortified city and a cemetery. Two seasonal streams provided water, a scarce resource in the region, to the walled city which comprises a heavily fortified castle and ceremonial ground as well as streets and houses of different proportion quality which testify to a stratified social order. A sophisticated water management system demonstrates the ingenuity of the Dholavira people in their struggle to survive and thrive in a harsh environment. The site includes a large cemetery with cenotaphs of six types testifying to the Harappan’s unique view of death. Bead processing workshops and artifacts of various kinds such as copper, shell, stone, jewellery of semi-precious stones, terracotta, gold, ivory and other materials have been found during archaeological excavations of the site, exhibiting the culture’s artistic and technological achievements. Evidence for inter-regional trade with other Harappan cities, as well as with cities in the Mesopotamia region and the Oman peninsula have also been discovered.
Encyclopedia Record: Dholavira
Dholavira 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.Additional Site Details
Area: 103 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 23.8884083333 , 70.2133027778
Image
© Himalyan, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
