Indus Valley Civilization Sites

21 Harappan sites: the great cities, the four corners, who found each one, and the UPSC years it was asked.

On this map (21)

Harappa — Punjab, Pakistan (river Ravi) · Pakistan — Mature Harappan · first site found. The whole civilization is named “Harappan” after it
Mohenjo-Daro — Sindh, Pakistan (river Indus) · Pakistan — Mature Harappan · largest site. Excavated by R. D. Banerjee, 1922; flooded 7+ times, 33-ft wide streets
Chanhudaro — Sindh, Pakistan · Pakistan — Mature Harappan · craft city. Excavated by N. G. Majumdar (1931), later E. J. H. Mackay
Kot Diji — Sindh, Pakistan · Pakistan — Pre-Harappan · direct forerunner. Mud bricks, drainage and the toy cart (potter’s wheel → bullock-cart wheel)
Amri — Sindh, Pakistan · Pakistan — Pre-Harappan · Amri culture. Kirthar and Kohistan region, 4th millennium BC
Ganweriwala — Cholistan, Pakistan · Pakistan — Mature Harappan · large Ghaggar-Hakra city. The largest number of Harappan sites lies in the Saraswati (Ghaggar-Hakra) valley, not the Indus
Rehman Dheri — Gomal plain, Pakistan · Pakistan — Pre-Harappan · early town. North-western Pakistan, on the Gomal plain
Kalibangan — Hanumangarh, on the Ghaggar · Rajasthan — Pre-Harappan + Mature Harappan. Excavated by A. Ghosh, 1953
Rakhigarhi — Hisar, Haryana · Haryana — All phases · largest Harappan site. Shows all three phases; has Hakra-ware deposits
Banawali — Fatehabad, Haryana · Haryana — Pre + Mature Harappan. Excavated by R. S. Bisht, 1973
Ropar — Rupnagar, on the Sutlej · Punjab — Mature Harappan. Excavated by Y. D. Sharma, 1953
Dholavira — Kutch (Rann) · Gujarat — All phases · city in three parts. Excavated by R. S. Bisht (not B. K. Thapar); seven cultural stages
Lothal — Ahmedabad, on the Bhogava · Gujarat — Mature Harappan · dockyard. Excavated by S. R. Rao, 1957; linked to the Bhogava river by a canal
Surkotada — Kutch · Gujarat — Mature Harappan · horse bones. Excavated by J. P. Joshi, 1972
Rangpur — Surendranagar · Gujarat — Late Harappan · rice husk. Cited for early rice cultivation in Gujarat
Alamgirpur — Meerut · Uttar Pradesh — Late Harappan · eastern limit. The four corners: Manda (north) · Daimabad (south) · Alamgirpur (east) · Sutkagan Dor (west)
Sanauli — Baghpat · Uttar Pradesh — Late Harappan · burials. Coffins wrapped in copper sheet, c. 1865–1507 BC; the UPPCS key words this question as “cremation of human body”
Hulas — Saharanpur · Uttar Pradesh — Late Harappan. UP’s Harappan sites: Alamgirpur, Hulas, Mandi
Manda — Jammu, on the Chenab · Jammu & Kashmir — Late Harappan · northern limit. Overall northernmost site is Shortughai on the Oxus, Afghanistan (off the map)
Daimabad — Ahmednagar · Maharashtra — Late Harappan · southern limit. Bronze hoard: chariot, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo
Desalpur (Gunthli) — Kutch · Gujarat — Mature Harappan · Kutch. Named in the 2019 odd-one-out question as a Harappan site — Sohgaura was the non-Harappan option

Asked in exams

UPSC 2025Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro is made of bronze
UPSC 2019NOT a Harappan site → Sohgaura (Chanhudaro, Kot Diji and Desalpur are Harappan)
UPSC 2019NOT a Harappan site → Sohgaura; Kot Diji, Chanhudaro, Desalpur are Harappan
UPSC 2002Kalibangan = ploughed field
UPSC 2002Banawali = terracotta replica of a plough
UPSC 2021Town with a series of dams + reservoirs for water harvesting → Dholavira (not Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Ropar)
UPSC 2002Dholavira = an inscription of ten large-sized signs
UPSC 1998Lothal = ancient dockyard ✓
UPSC 2002Lothal = dockyard
UPSC 2019Desalpur is a Harappan site (Kutch); Sohgaura is the odd one out

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