Vadnagar archaeological site

Archaeological Site

Vadnagar archaeological site

Location| Vadnagar, Gujarat, India
Coordinates| 23°47′N 72°39′E﻿ / ﻿23.783°N 72.650°E﻿ / 23.783; 72.650[1]
History
Founded| c. 730 BC[1]
Cultures| Mauryan, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, Hindu-Solankis, Sultanate-Mughal, Gaekwad-British rule
Site notes
Excavation dates| 2016–present

Vadnagar archaeological site is located in Vadnagar in Gujarat, India; it is known for its significant findings of a continuing settlement since ancient or pre-Mauryan times.[2][3][4][5]

## Project

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Excavations at the archaeological site commenced in 2016 as a collaborative effort that includes archaeologists and experts from IIT Kharagpur, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Deccan College.[6][7] The joint study project, funded by Infosys Foundation and Government of Gujarat's Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, is intended to shed light on the period between the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilisation around 4,000 years ago and the emergence of Iron Age cities in northern India. Oxygen isotope analyses of extracted core samples were used to reconstruct climate variation at the site. Combined with stratigraphy, material cultural and textual evidence, and the radiocarbon dating, the proxy climate data were analysed in tandem with evidence of social, cultural and political conditions over the timespan of the settlement.[1]

## Findings

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A 2024 article detailing the joint study, published in Quaternary Science Reviews, suggests that the settlement in Vadnagar dates to 800 BCE.[1][2] According to Anindya Sarkar of IIT Kharagpur, the lead author of the study, some of the unpublished radiocarbon samples date back to 1400 BCE. If the dating is confirmed, Sarkar points out this would demonstrate a cultural continuity in India for the last 5500 years.[2]

### Cultural stages

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See also: History of Buddhism, History of Jainism, and Historical Vedic religion

Vadnagar was a multicultural and multireligious settlement, its origins pre-dating Jainism and Buddhism. Over its three thousand year history, it has had seven distinct socio-cultural stages, and experienced successive rulerships, including Mauryan, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, Hindu-Solankis, Sultanate-Mughal, and Gaekwad-British colonial rule. With continuous habitation since 800 BCE, it is identified as India's oldest living city within a single fortification.[2][3][4]

### Climate change impact

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Using proxy data to reconstruct climate variation spanning the settlement's history, comparison of climatic conditions to socio-cultural and political conditions prevailing at the corresponding times was made. In this way, the study attempted to identify patterns of immigration or invasion, affluence and social conditions, that correlate with climatic vagaries. From this, the authors suggest that climate change, such as variable rainfall or droughts, played a significant role in the rise and fall of the culture, political stability, and social well-being at the site. In addition, periods of hyperaridity and increasing aridification in Central Asia were shown to correspond to periods of stable rainfall at the site; these factors are proposed as triggers for the waves of migration from Central Asia into the fertile areas of the subcontinent.[4][6]

## See also

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* List of World Heritage Sites in India
* UNESCO – Agency of the United Nations that promotes international cooperation in arts, education, science, and culture
* Vedic period – Ancient South Asian historical period
* Rulers and dynasties with associations to the history of the site (selected):
* Chalukya dynasty – Classical Indian dynasty (543–753)
* Chavda dynasty – Dynasty of ancient India
* Gujarat under the Delhi Sultanate – History of Gujarat between 1297–1407
* Western Kshatrapas – Indo-Scythian rulers of western and central India (35-415 CE)Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
* Maitraka dynasty – Dynasty that ruled western India from c. 475 to 767
* Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty – Mid-8th to 11th century northern India dynastyPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
* Rashtrakutas – Early medieval Indian dynasty (mid-6th to 10th century)Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

## References

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1. ^ a b c d Sarkar, Anindya; Sengupta, Torsa; Ambekar, Abhijit; Bhushan, Ravi; Dimri, A. P.; Deshpande-Mukherjee, Arati; et al. (January 2024). "Climate, human settlement, and migration in South Asia from early historic to medieval period: Evidence from new archaeological excavation at Vadnagar, Western India". Quaternary Science Reviews. 324: 108470. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108470. (Conclusions). "Radiocarbon chronology of mollusc carbonates, charcoal and drill core sediments, retrieved from six trenches suggest that the settlement began at ∼2754 years B.P. contemporary to Late-Vedic/pre-Buddhist Mahajanapadas or oligarchic republics of ancient India."
2. ^ a b c d Ghosh, Bishwanath (13 January 2024). "India's oldest living city found in PM Modi's native village Vadnagar: multi-institution study". The Hindu. Kolkata. p. 1\. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
3. ^ a b Shamsi, Mohammed Safi. "India's 'dark age' could be a myth, suggests new study". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
4. ^ a b c Goswami, Biswabrata (13 January 2024). "Dark Age may be myth: IIT Kharagpur joint study". The Statesman. Midnapore. SNS. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
5. ^ Khanra, Sujoy (13 January 2024). "Archaeologists Find Continuous Human Settlement For 3,500 Years In Vadnagar". The Times of India. Kharagpur. p. 1\. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024.
6. ^ a b Shastri, Parth (25 December 2023). "India's abundant monsoon enticed invaders, suggests Gujarat dig". The Times of India. TNN. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
7. ^ Shastri, Parth (27 November 2017). "Monastery promise unearthed in Vadnagar". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.