IIT Kharagpur Research suggests Indus Valley Civilization is 8000 years old

History:

• The rise of the post-Neolithic Bronze Age Harappan civilization 5700 – 3300 years before along with the Indus Valley
• In the Indian subcontinent the major centers of this civilization include Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan and Lothal, Dholavira and Kalibangan in India
• Many archaeologists believe that weakening of the summer monsoon after 5000 years and a major drought around 4200 years throughout the Asia were the reason behind the Harappan collapse

Researchers Involved from: 

• Indian Institute of Kharagpur
• Institute Archaeology
• Deccan College Pune
• Physical Research laboratory
• Archaeological survey of India

Key Aspects:

• Researchers explained that civilization was much older than about to 8th millennium
• Climatic conditions was the main reason ofHarappan collapse
• Research came from excavated site of Bhirrana, Haryana that depicts preservation of all cultural levels of Pre-HarappanHakra phase through Early Mature Harappan to mature Harappan time

Earlier Phases are identified by:

Countryside and early village farming communities

Mature Harappan time is recognized by:

• Urbanized with several organized cities
• Developed material and craft culture

The late Harappan phase witnessed:

• Large scale de-urbanization
• Population decrease
• Abandonment of many established settlements
• Lack of basic amenities, interpersonal violence
• Disappearance of Harappan script

About Bhirrana:

High concentration of settlements along the Vedic river valley ‘Saraswati’, an extension of Ghaggarriver in the Thar Desert

Technique Used:

Researchers dated potteries of Early Mature Harappan time by a technique called optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)