Hry-Indian Archaeological Society start excavations at Kunal

The Haryana Archaeology and Museums Department (HAMD), Indian Archaeological Society and the National Museums today started excavations at Kunal in Fatehabad district, the earliest Harappan site in the state.
The Director General, National Museums, B R Mani and Haryana Archaeology and Museums Department, Deputy Director Banani Bhattacharyya started the digging process with a spade.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between the HAMD and the New Delhi-based society in the presence of the Haryana Archaeology and Museums, last year, an official release here said.
Kunal being one of the earliest sites in Haryana had a great contribution in the early Harappan studies in the Indian sub-continent which would open new prospects for the future researches.

The archeological excavations at this pre-Harappan site of 5,000 years old were started in the year 1986 and are continuing till date with a few field-season's gap, the release said.
Three successive phases of occupation from pit-dwelling to that of square and rectangular mud brick houses have come to light and are supposed to be the earliest remains of the pre-Harappan culture in India.

In earlier excavations, a hoard of regalia item, including six gold beads of a necklace, an armlet and a few bangle pieces and 12,445 beads of semi-precious stones first- of-its kind were found.
That makes the whole gamut of the luxury items as 'richest' when seen in the context of rural nature of settlement of 3,000 BC, it said.

One of the important contributions of this site is the discovery of steatite and shell seals, which are the earliest example of seal manufacturing in India, so far.