Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | Reconstruction of Human-Animal Interactions at the World Heritage Harappan Site of Dholavira, Gujarat, India: Inferences from isotopic composition of archaeological bone and teeth remains |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Sharada Channarayapatna, Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Gujarat |
Timeline Start Year : | 2022 |
Timeline End Year : | 2025 |
Contact info : | sharada.c@iitgn.ac.in |
Equipments : | High end laptop |
Details
Executive Summary : | The study focuses on reconstructing animal management practices of Harappans in the mid-Holocene period in Gujarat, highlighting resilience and adaptation strategies. However, the data comes from small inland sites without a continuous cultural sequence and clear socio-politico-economic stratification. The large urban site of Dholavira in Gujarat is ideal for multidisciplinary scientific studies due to its large size, well-established exchange network, and distinct paleoenvironmental setting. The project will use traditional archaeozoological methods to identify domestic animal remains, including bones and teeth, and conduct multi-element isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium) through mass spectrometry. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes will help determine the trophic level of domestic animals and long-term dietary behavior, while oxygen isotope ratios will help determine the origin of animals' ingested water. Strontium isotope analysis will assess seasonality, provenance, and migration patterns of animal populations. Previous research in Gujarat suggests some economic interaction between Saurashtra and Kutch regions, but smaller settlements like Kanmer and Bagasra were independent, self-sufficient pastoral economies. The study aims to determine whether Dholavira inhabitants were autonomous in their domestic animal management or wholly or partially dependent on neighboring sites. By synthesizing and interpreting the empirical data, the broader objective is to delineate patterns of land-use, animal husbandry, palaeodiet, and transhumance strategies adopted by different divisions of inhabitants within this ancient Indus Civilization settlement. |
Co-PI: | Dr. Debajyoti Paul, Indian Institute Of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Uttar Pradesh-208016 |
Total Budget (INR): | 44,69,388 |
Organizations involved