Archaeological and anthropological studies on the Harappan cemetery of Rakhigarhi, India.

Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science

Anthropology* ; Archaeology* ; Cemeteries*; Humans ; India

An insufficient number of archaeological surveys has been carried out to date on Harappan Civilization cemeteries. One case in point is the necropolis at Rakhigarhi site (Haryana, India), one of the largest cities of the Harappan Civilization, where most burials within the cemetery remained uninvestigated. Over the course of the past three seasons (2013 to 2016), we therefore conducted excavations in an attempt to remedy this data shortfall. In brief, we found different kinds of graves co-existing within the Rakhigarhi cemetery in varying proportions. Primary interment was most common, followed by the use of secondary, symbolic, and unused (empty) graves. Within the first category, the atypical burials appear to have been elaborately prepared. Prone-positioned internments also attracted our attention. Since those individuals are not likely to have been social deviants, it is necessary to reconsider our pre-conceptions about such prone-position burials in archaeology, at least in the context of the Harappan Civilization. The data presented in this report, albeit insufficient to provide a complete understanding of Harappan Civilization cemeteries, nevertheless does present new and significant information on the mortuary practices and anthropological features at that time. Indeed, the range of different kinds of burials at the Rakhigarhi cemetery do appear indicative of the differences in mortuary rituals seen within Harappan societies, therefore providing a vivid glimpse of how these people respected their dead.

Comment in: Cell. 2019 Oct 17;179(3):586-588. (PMID: 31626767)

Int J Paleopathol. 2012 Jun - Sep;2(2-3):136-147. (PMID: 29539378)
J Forensic Sci. 1987 Jan;32(1):148-57. (PMID: 3819673)
Int J Paleopathol. 2017 Sep;18:69-81. (PMID: 28888395)
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1992 Feb;87(2):133-50. (PMID: 1543240)
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1984 Jan;63(1):39-56. (PMID: 6422767)
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1985 Sep;68(1):57-66. (PMID: 4061602)
PLoS One. 2015 Apr 29;10(4):e0123103. (PMID: 25923705)

Date Created: 20180222 Date Completed: 20180409 Latest Revision: 20240313

20240313

PMC5821334

10.1371/journal.pone.0192299

29466426