Oxford-Kutch University Team Digs To Unravel 4,000-Year-Old Harappan Maritime Past in Dholavira

A major archaeological collaboration between Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kachchh University (KSKVKU) and the University of Oxford is set to explore one of Gujarat’s biggest historical mysteries — how Harappan communities thrived in the challenging landscapes of Kutch more than 4,000 years ago.

The three-year research project will focus on Dholavira and other Harappan sites across Gujarat to examine ancient sea levels, environmental changes and the role of maritime trade in sustaining one of the world’s earliest urban civilisations.

Joint project to investigate Harappan settlements

The partnership was formalised earlier this year through a memorandum of understanding between KSKVKU and the University of Oxford. Researchers have now begun work on the project titled Excavations at Dholavira and Associated Harappan Sites in Gujarat: Investigating Palaeo-Environments, Sea Levels and Early Seafaring Traditions.

The project is being co-led by Gaurav D. Chauhan, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Archaeology at KSKVKU, and Ajay Yadav, a DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford’s School of Archaeology, working under Professor Damian Robinson.

Solving the mystery of Harappan life in Kutch

The research aims to answer a long-standing question about why Harappan settlements were established across the islands of the Great and Little Ranns of Kutch despite the region’s environmentally fragile and agriculturally marginal conditions.

Archaeologists believe these settlements remained occupied between 2600 BC and 1900 BC. The new study will test the theory that they were once located along active estuarine or coastal landscapes, providing strategic access to inland and maritime trade routes.

Multi-disciplinary approach to uncover ancient landscapes

Researchers will use archaeological excavations, GIS-based spatial mapping, pottery provenance studies and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis to reconstruct the region’s environmental history over the past 8,000 years.

According to Chauhan, the project will also examine local place names and cultural traditions linked to seafaring to help recreate the ancient geography of Kutch and understand how changing coastlines influenced Harappan settlements.

The findings are expected to offer fresh insights into ancient sea levels, shifting coastlines, trade networks and the importance of maritime activity in the growth of Harappan communities.

Fieldwork underway at Dholavira

Preliminary fieldwork has already been completed in the western Thar region and the Great Rann of Kutch to identify priority locations and refine research plans.

The project will now enter its main phase, with one major excavation season scheduled every year between December and March at Dholavira. The months between excavation seasons will be devoted to laboratory analysis, interpretation of findings and combining evidence gathered from multiple disciplines.

Researchers believe the collaboration, which brings together local archaeological expertise and international academic resources, could significantly deepen understanding of the Harappan civilisation and its relationship with the changing landscapes of Kutch.