Excavation begins at Harappan site

Chandigarh, November 21

The Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana, has initiated excavation at Kunal in Fatehabad district in collaboration with the Indian Archaeological Society, New Delhi.

Sumita Misra, Principal Secretary, Department of Archaeology and Museums, stated that the excavations were aimed at bringing out the earliest material culture of the site. Kunal is one of the earliest Harappan sites in Haryana which has greatly contributed to 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. It may push the history of the civilisation back by over a thousand years.

Kunal is located in Ratia tehsil on the bank of now dried-up river course of the Saraswati. The core area of the settlement is 3-4 acres though site expands to 9 acres. The excavation was first conducted by late JS Khatri and M Acharya under the Haryana State Archaeology Department during 1985-86. — TNS