Bhirrana

Bhirrana

Bhirrana or Birhana is a small village with great historical value. Located at Fatehabad District, in the Indian state of Haryana it does not exist on any tourist map. However, it is the part of an ancient civilisation which is broadly referred to as the "Harappan civilisation".

Location:

The site is situated about 220 km to the northwest of New Delhi on the New Delhi-Fazilka national highway and about 14 km northeast of the district headquarter on the Bhuna road in the Fatehabad district. The site is one of the many sites seen along the channels of the ancient Saraswati riverine systems, now represented by the seasonal Ghaggar River which flows in modern Haryana from Nahan to Sirsa.

About Mound:

The mound measures 190 m north-south and 240 m east-west and rises to a height of 5.50 m from the surrounding area of flat alluvial sottar plain.

Excavations:

The Excavation Branch-I, Nagpur of the Archaeological Survey of India excavated this site for three field seasons during 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Cultures:

The excavation has revealed cultural periods viz., Period IA: Hakra Wares Culture, Period IB: Early Harappan Culture, Period IIA: Early Mature Harappan and Period IIB: Mature Harappan Culture.

Period IA: Hakra Wares Culture:

The excavation has revealed the remains of the Harappan culture right from its nascent stage, i.e. Hakra Wares Culture (antedating the Known Early Harappan Culture in the subcontinent, also known as Kalibangan-I.) to a full-fledged Mature Harappan city. Prior to the excavation of Bhirrana, no Hakra Wares culture, predating the Early Harappan had been exposed in any Indian site. For the first time, the remains of this culture have been exposed at Bhirrana. This culture is characterised by structures in the form of subterranean dwelling pits, cut into the natural soil. The walls and floor of these pits were plastered with the yellowish alluvium of the Saraswati valley. The artefacts of this period comprised a copper bangle, a copper arrowhead, bangles of terracotta, beads of carnelian, lapis lazuli and steatite, bone point, stone saddle and quern. The pottery repertoire is very rich and the diagnostic wares of this period included Mud Applique Wares, Incised (Deep and Light), Tan/Chocolate Slipped Wares, Brown-on-Buff Wares, Bichrome Wares (Paintings on the exterior with black and white pigments), Black-on-Red Ware and plain red wares.

The Period IB: Early Harappan Culture:

The entire site was occupied during this period. The settlement was an open air one with no fortification. The houses were built of mud bricks of buff colour in the ratio of 3:2:1. The pottery of this period shows all the six fabrics of Kalibangan - I along with many of the Hakra Wares of the earlier period. the antiquites of the period include a seal of quarter-foil shape made on shell, arrowhead, bangles and rings of copper, beads of carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, steatite, shell and terracotta, pendent, bull figurine, rattle, wheel, gamesman, and marbles of terracotta, bangles of terracotta and faience, bone objects, sling ball, marble and pounder of sandstone.

The Period IIA: Early Mature Harappan Culture:

This period is marked by transformation in the city lay-out. The entire settlement was encompassed within a fortification wall. The twin units of the town planning, viz. Citadel and Lower Town came into vogue. The mud brick structures were aligned with a slight deviation from the true north. The streets, lanes and by-lanes were oriented in similar fashion. The pottery assemblage shows a mixed bag of Early Harappan and Mature Harappan forms. The antiquities of the period included beads of semi-precious stones (including two caches of beads kept in two miniature pots), bangles of copper, shell, terracotta and faience; fishhook, chisel, arrowhead of copper; terracotta animal figurines and a host of miscellaneous artefacts.

The Period IIB: Mature Harappan Culture:

The last period of occupation at the site belong to the Mature Harappan period with all the characteristic features of a well developed Harappan city. The important antiquities of the period consisted of Seals of steatite, bangles of copper, terracotta, faience and shell, inscribed celts of copper, bone objects, terracotta spoked wheels, animal figurines of terracotta, beads of lapis lazuli, carnelian, agate, faience, steatite, terracotta and stone objects. A replica of the famous "Dancing Girl" from Mohenjodaro is found engraved on a potsherd in the form a graffiti.The massive fortification wall of the town was made of mud bricks. The houses were made of mud bricks (sun-baked bricks). Wide linear roads can be seen separating the houses. A circular structure of baked earth is probably a "tandoor"- a community kitchen still seen in rural India. Presence of the baked bricks is seen used in the main drain provided on the width of the northern arm of the fortification wall to flush out the waste water from the houses.

----Reference:

The first reference in the media has been an article in "The Tribune" dated January 2,2004. Later on the site got lot of media focus."Puratattva", the Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of India No. 34, 35 and 36; Man and Environment xxxi.

----Satellite Image of Bhirrana [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
]

----

Images of Bhirrana [http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_2007_bhirrana_images.asp]

----

External links:
http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_2005_haryana.asp
http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_2007_bhirrana_images.asp