58.182.176.169 at 01:35, 12 July 2021

2021-07-12T01:35:33Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox ancient site
| name = Lohari Ragho
| alternate_name =
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| map_type = India
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| map_size = 270
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| coordinates = {{coord|29|16|29|N|76|4|17|E|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Hisar (district)|Hisar]], [[Haryana]], [[India]]
| region =
| type = Settlement
| part_of =
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| abandoned =
| epochs = 3200–2600 BC
| cultures = [[Indus Valley Civilization]]
| dependency_of =
| occupants = farmer
| event =
| excavations =
| archaeologists =
| condition =
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| public_access =
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| notes =
}}

'''Lohari Ragho''' is a village and [[Indus Valley Civilization]] archaeological site located in [[Hisar district]] of [[Haryana]] state in India. It has 3 separate mounds, each 1 to 1.5 km apart within the peripheralo suburban zone of [[Rakhigarhi]] city cite, where artifacts belonging to [[Periodisation of the Indus Valley Civilisation|Mature Harappan]] and [[Siswal#Sothi-Siswal_culture|Sothi-Siswal cultural period]] (sub-culture of [[Periodisation of the Indus Valley Civilisation|Late Harappan]] phase) have been confirmed based on filed visits.<ref name=thr1/> These mounds, unprotected and under risk of encroachment and threat of obliteration, are yet to be excavated, fenced, protected or conserved.

It is 8 km southwest of its erstwhile urban center of Rakhigarhi, 60 km from its IVC cultural ancestor [[Siswal#Sothi|Siswal]], 55 km northeast of district headquarter [[Hisar_(city)|Hisar]], 133 km northwest of national capital [[New Delhi]], and 175 km southwest of state capital [[Chandigarh]].

==Background ==

===Site location of 3 mounds ===

Lahori Ragho can be reached from Hansi on Hansi-Jind State Highway SH-12<ref name=thr1/> which runs in northeast direction from Hansi. At 15.2 km on SH-12 from Hansi bypass, where there is Bharat Petroleum's filling station near Majra Payau, another subsidiary road in northwestern direction off SH-12 goes to Lohari Ragho which is another 7 km.

Lohari Ragho has following 3 separate mounds near Lohari Ragho village, at least 1 km apart, hence each one must be treated as a separate site.<ref name=thr1/>

* ''Lohari Ragho Mound-I:'' This one is the village in northwest corner of village [[Village_accountant#Lal_Dora|lal dora]] near where the unpaved track to Datta village starts.
* ''Lohari Ragho Mound-II:'' This one is 950 m west of first one, it lies on the unpaved track which leads to Datta village.
* ''Lohari Ragho Mound-III:'' This one is 1.5 km southwest of the second one, it lies in the farms.

===Lohari Ragho - an ancient outer suburb of Rakhigarhi city ===

Bolstering the status of Rakhigarhi as the largest [[Indus Valley Civilization]] metropolis on the banks of [[Drishadvati river]] (through whose paleochannel presently flows the [[Chautang]] river ), at least 23 other Indus Valley Civilization sites within 5 km (at 4 sites), 10 km (at least 10 sites) and 15 km (at least 9 sites) radius of Rakhigarhi have been discovered up to 2001. Some of the raw materials were procured from the nodal ''Rakhigarhi'' site and finished products were brought back to the nodal ''Rakhigarhi'' site for marketing.<ref name="ASIR1">{{Cite web |url=http://asi.nic.in/pdf_data/rakhigarhi_excavation_report_new.pdf |title=ASI Rakhigarhi Excavation Report for 1997-98 and 199-2001 excavations, Author: Dr. Amrendra Nath, Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India, Published: 2004 |access-date=4 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319114204/http://asi.nic.in/pdf_data/rakhigarhi_excavation_report_new.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Within 5 km radius are [[Indus Valley Civilisation#Early Harappan|early Harappan (4600 BCE - 2800 BCE)]] site of [[Gamra]] and [[Indus Valley Civilisation#Mature Harappan|mature Harappan (2600 BCE - 1400 BCE)]] sites of [[Budana]], [[Haibatpur]] and Lohari Ragho 3.<ref name="ASIR1"/>

Within 5 km to 10 km radius, early Harappan sites are Lohari Ragho 1, Lohari Ragho 2 and [[Kheri Lochab]]-[[Kheri Jalab]]. Mature Harappan small farmstead sites are [[Milakpur]] and [[Gunkali]]. Small farmstead sites of [[Kinnar, Hisar|Kinnar]], [[Nara, Hisar|Nara]] and [[Mirchpur]] have material from both mature and late Harappan period. [[Indus Valley Civilisation#Collapse and Late Harappan|late Harappan (after 1400 BCE)]] sites are [[Sothi|Sotha]] and
[[Khera Gandawala|Gandaswala Khera]].<ref name="ASIR1"/>

Within 5 km to 10 km radius are early, mature and late Harrpan sites. To the north-west of Rakhigarhi are [[Panihari village|Panhari]], [[Gyanpura]], [[Sothi|Sotha]], [[Kagsar]], [[Sulchani]] and south-west of Rakhigarhi are [[Sisai, Hisar|Sisai 1, 2 and 3]], [[Rajpura, Narnaund|Rajpura 2]], [[Pali, Narnaund|Pali]] and [[Masudpur]].<ref name="ASIR1"/>

===History of excavation ===
There has been no excavation but visits by several archaeologists who have confirmed the presence of 2 phases of Harappan culture.

These mounds were first reported by Dhoop Sing and Chanderpal Sing of [[Haryana State Directorate of Archaeology & Museums|Haryana Department of Archaeology]] (HAD) (IAR-1980-8:16) as [[Periodisation of the Indus Valley Civilisation|Late Harappan site]] which was written about in an article by [[J.P. Joshi]] (1984) which attributed these mounds to Sothi-Siswal period (a sub-culture of Late Harappan phase). Tejas Garge, Director of Maharashtra Archaeology department, who visited these sites also confirmed presence of additional Mature Harappan phase as well.<ref name=thr1/>

==Archaeology of the site ==

===3 separate mounds ===

Three mounds belonging to the [[Sothi]]-[[Siswal]] ceramic period were found during excavations in 1980. Archaeological remains were reported first time by Dhoop Singh and Chanderpal Singh from the HAD. A lot of Harappan ceramics have been found on the site such as globular jars, vases, bowls, basins and fast wheel pottery made of [[Black and red ware culture|red ware]].<ref name=thr1>Garge, T., (2010). [http://www.ancient-asia-journal.com/article/view/aa.10203/35 Sothi-Siswal Ceramic Assemblage: A Reappraisal.] Ancient Asia. 2, pp.15–40. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/aa.10203</ref>

===Pottery culture and artifacts===

[[Redware]] pottery culture is [[Pottery in the Indian subcontinent|typical of IVC]], which has been found at this site, some [[Slipware|slipped]] (glazed - either for fusing two pieces together or for decoration and protection) and some unslipped.<ref name=thr1/> Slipware is the pottery on which [[Slip (ceramics)|slip]] has been applied either for glazing or decoration. Slip is liquified clay or clay slurry, with no fixed ratio of water and clay, which is used either for joining [[leather-hard]] (semi-hardened) clay [[Glossary_of_pottery_terms#B|body]] (pieces of pottery) together by [[slipcasting]] with [[Molding (process)|mould]], [[Pottery#glazing|glazing]] or [[Pottery#Decoration|decorating]] the pottery by paining or dipping the pottery with slip, see [[glossary of pottery terms]].<ref name=clay1>[https://thepotterywheel.com/what-is-slip-in-pottery/ What is slip in pottery], thepotterywheel.com, accessed 10 July 2021.</ref>

Tejas Garge, found the following the pottery at the site, these were all shards except a small bowl and a lota where specifically mentioned to be whole artifact:<ref name=thr1/>

* Redware, associated with IVC culture

** Slipped redware
*** small-sized, [[Lota (vessel)|Lota]] complete and unbroken: [[wikt:spout|spouted]] [[wikt:globule|gobular]] pot
*** medium-large, jar, globular in shape with short out turned beaked rim, medium fabric.
*** jar, gobular shaped, medium fabric
*** medium size, jar ,with short externally projecting rim, having medium-to-fine fine fabric.
*** medium sized, jar, out turning beaded rim
*** large, bowl, shallow shaped with inverted/incurred rim and horizontal groove on the neck
*** basin, slip with flaring slides and an out turned rim,
*** jar, medium fabric with wavy incisions
*** jar/vase, medium fabric with wavy incisions

** Unslipped redware
** bowl, with convex profile and inside-out rim, medium fabric
** jar, with narrow mouth and external inside-out rim, fine-to-medium fabric
** pot, shallow shaped, horizontal line incisions on the shoulder
** bowl (bottom portion only)
** small-medium size, pot, out turned beaded rim.
** medium size, jar with narrow mouth and externally projecting rim.
** medium size, basin,out turned beaked rim and projecting shoulders.

** Slipped redware with black color:
*** jar/vase, with prominent flutings on the exterior, ''"black slipped"'' red ware fast wheel pottery
*** bowl (complete / unbroken), small size, slip with a horizontal black colour band on neck

* Greyware ([[Painted Grey Ware culture]]) is associated with [[vedic era]], which shows this site had overlap of later harappan and early vedic period.
** Slipped
*** dish (piece of narrow shaft only), having a gray ware stand, fine fabric.

== See also ==

* [[Indus Valley Civilization]]

** [[List of Indus Valley Civilization sites]]
*** [[Bhirrana]], 4 phases of IVC with earliest dated to 8th-7th millennium BCE
*** [[Kalibanga]], an IVC town and fort with several phases starting from Early harappan phase
*** [[Rakhigarhi]], one of the largest IVC city with 4 phases of IVC with earliest dated to 8th-7th millennium BCE
*** Kunal, pre harappan cultural ancestor of [[Rehman Dheri]]

** [[List of inventions and discoveries of the Indus Valley Civilization]]
*** [[Hydraulic engineering of the Indus Valley Civilization]]
*** [[Sanitation of the Indus Valley Civilisation]]

** [[Periodisation of the Indus Valley Civilisation]]

** [[Pottery in the Indian subcontinent]]
*** [[Bara culture]], subtype of Late-Harappan Phase
*** [[Black and red ware]], belonging to neolithic and Pre-Harappan phases
*** [[Kunal, Haryana#Culture|Kunal culture]], subtype of Pre-Harappan Phase
*** [[Siswal#Sothi|Sothi-Siswal culture]], subtype of Pre-Harappan Phase
*** [[Cemetery H culture]] (2000-1400 BC), early Indo-Aryan pottery at IVC sites later evolved into [[Painted Grey Ware culture]] of [[Vedic period]]

** [[Rakhigarhi Indus Valley Civilisation Museum]]

* [[History of Haryana]]
** [[List of Monuments of National Importance in Haryana]]
** [[List of State Protected Monuments in Haryana]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Indus Valley Civilization}}
{{Tourism in India}}
{{Haryana}}

[[Category:Hisar (city)]]
[[Category:Villages in Hisar district]]
[[Category:Indus Valley Civilisation sites]]
[[Category:Pre-Indus Valley Civilisation sites]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Haryana]]

{{Haryana-geo-stub}}

Lohari Ragho - Revision history

58.182.176.169 at 01:35, 12 July 2021