Farmana
Encyclopedia
Farmana Khas or Daksh Khera is an archaeological site in Meham block of Rohtak district
in northern India
n state of Haryana
spread over 18.5 hectares. It is located near the village of Farmana Khas, about 15 kilometers from the Rohtak-Hissar highway. It is significant particularly for its burial site of the Mature Harappan
period (2500-2000 BC).
. The project was financed by the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto
, which also provided technical expertise. The Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak and Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) are the India
n partners of the project.
The habitation site is spread over 18.5 hectare. Excavation has revealed a well-laid-out road with houses on either side. So far one complex has been excavated. It has 26 rooms, 3 to 4 kitchens, an equal number of bathrooms and a courtyard in the centre. Terracotta toys, whistle, wheels and seals, copper bangles, a small ornament of gold and large amount of pottery has been retrieved.
The cemetery at Farmana has revealed 70 burials so far and has been assigned to the Mature Harappan phase (2500-2000 BC), whereas the burial site at Sanauli, in the Baghpat district of Utter Pradesh, which revealed 116 graves, belongs to a later stage of Harappan culture. Most of the graves are oriented northwest-southeast, though there are some with north-south and northeast-southwest orientations as well. A skeleton
of a middle-aged woman has been found, which had three shell bangles, two copper bangles, copper earrings, beads and ornaments on the feet, indicating her wealthy status.
The team also plans to carry out coring tests in lakes around the Farmana site to ascertain climatic conditions prevalent at the time of the Harappan civilization, and investigate whether the decline of the culture followed catastrophic climate change.
A recent advance in the study have shown evidence of inter-regional marriage performed by the Harappans for trade purposes as well.
Rohtak District
Rohtak district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. It is located in the southeast of Haryana and northwest of Delhi, bounded by Jind and Sonipat districts to the north, Jhajjar and Sonipat districts to the east, and Hissar, Sirsa, and Bhiwani districts to the west...
in northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
spread over 18.5 hectares. It is located near the village of Farmana Khas, about 15 kilometers from the Rohtak-Hissar highway. It is significant particularly for its burial site of the Mature Harappan
Harappan
Harappan can refer to:* Aspects related to Harappa an archaeological site and city in northeast Pakistan* The Indus Valley Civilization that thrived along Indus River...
period (2500-2000 BC).
Excavations
This site was excavated under the direction of Vasant Shinde of the Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. The project was financed by the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, which also provided technical expertise. The Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak and Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(ASI) are the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n partners of the project.
Architecture and material culture
The site is divided in two areas, one for the living and one for the dead, separated by a distance of 1 km. The finds were made in intensely-cultivated, flat land.The habitation site is spread over 18.5 hectare. Excavation has revealed a well-laid-out road with houses on either side. So far one complex has been excavated. It has 26 rooms, 3 to 4 kitchens, an equal number of bathrooms and a courtyard in the centre. Terracotta toys, whistle, wheels and seals, copper bangles, a small ornament of gold and large amount of pottery has been retrieved.
The cemetery at Farmana has revealed 70 burials so far and has been assigned to the Mature Harappan phase (2500-2000 BC), whereas the burial site at Sanauli, in the Baghpat district of Utter Pradesh, which revealed 116 graves, belongs to a later stage of Harappan culture. Most of the graves are oriented northwest-southeast, though there are some with north-south and northeast-southwest orientations as well. A skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
of a middle-aged woman has been found, which had three shell bangles, two copper bangles, copper earrings, beads and ornaments on the feet, indicating her wealthy status.
Scientific testing
Vasant Shinde announced in March 2009 the intention to conduct scientific tests on skeletal remains, pottery and botanical evidence found at the site, including DNA tests on bones to attempt to establish the origins of the Harappans, and trace element analyses to help understand their diet.The team also plans to carry out coring tests in lakes around the Farmana site to ascertain climatic conditions prevalent at the time of the Harappan civilization, and investigate whether the decline of the culture followed catastrophic climate change.
A recent advance in the study have shown evidence of inter-regional marriage performed by the Harappans for trade purposes as well.