Kanmer, locally known as Bakar Kot, is an archaeological site belonging to

Indus Valley civilization The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900&n ...

, located in Rapar Taluk, Kutch District,

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

Excavation

Indo-Japanese joint excavation at Kanmer was undertaken during 2006 by Institute of Rajasthan Studies, RIHN, JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Archeology Department, Gujarat and Japanese team.

Architecture

The site was strongly fortified despite being small, perhaps because it may have been located on trade route between

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

and Saurashtra.

Findings

Rich ceramic assemblage, representing the Mature Harappan culture was found at this site. Three clay seals with central holes, making them pendants, with Indus scripts were found. A large number of bead-making goods — 150 stone beads and roughouts, 160 drill bits, 433

faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major ad ...

beads and 20,000

steatite Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the zo ...

beads — were found here, indicating the site's importance as an industrial unit.

Agate Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Ancie ...

quarries were also located at a distance of from the site.

Importance

The figures appearing on clay seals and their similarity with those of

Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Harappa Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

and Mohenjo-daro.

Excavation

Architecture

Findings

Importance

References

Further reading