Gilund

Gilund is an archaeological site that is located in India’s modern state of Rajasthan. It is one of five ancient sites excavated in the Ahar-Banas Complex which also includes the sites of Ahar, Ojiyana, Marmi, and Balathal.

It is also positioned in the Mewar Plain, which lies between the Aravalli Mountains and the Deccan Plateau. There are three major rivers in the area which include the Kothari, Banas, and Berach. Research conducted on the climate of the ancient site shows that it used to be wetter than it presently is.

Gilund was occupied from approximately 3000-1700 BC. These years of occupation are divided into three phases: Late Ahar-Banas 2000-1700 BC, Middle Ahar-Banas 2500-2000 BC, and Early Ahar-Banas 3000-2500 BC. This two mound site was first excavated by B.B. Lal in 1959-1960. The site was later revisited from 1999 to 2005 by a team from the University of Pennsylvania and Deccan College. Here various housing structures have been uncovered, as well as large buildings with long parallel walls, workshops, refuse heaps, and an exterior wall surrounding the site. The workshop area has revealed that the occupants practiced small-scale craft production. Further analysis of the areas also shows that the inhabitants were agro-pastoralists, meaning that they mixed agricultural practices with livestock herding practices. Artefact analysis has also linked objects found at Gilund to the other sites in the Ahar-Banas Complex, as well as the site of Bagor. In addition, lithics at Gilund and Bagor were produced using the same techniques.

References

IAR:Indian Archaeology: A Review. Annual Publication of the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi.