Who among the following discovered ‘Surkotda’, a site of Harappan culture ?
- (1)B.B. Lal
- (2)S.R. Rao
- (3)Y.D. Sharma
- (4)Jagatpati Joshi
Answer
Why
Correct — option (4), Jagatpati Joshi.
The entry on Surkotada in A. Ghosh's An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology, Vol. II (1989) is written by J. P. Joshi himself. He says the site in Kutch was brought to light by him and his party while exploring northern Kutch between 1964 and 1968, along with 17 other Harappa sites.
Joshi's own ASI report, Excavation at Surkotada 1971-72 and Exploration in Kutch (Memoirs of the ASI No. 87, 1990), dates his explorations to December 1964–January 1965, December 1965 and January 1968. It says he discovered the mound in December 1964 and describes Surkotada as a Harappan fortified settlement in Rapar taluk.
The same team went on to excavate the site. The discoverer named in the stem is therefore option (4), Jagatpati Joshi.
The idea to remember: Surkotada (Kutch): found by J. P. Joshi's exploration from 1964, excavated by him in the early 1970s.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)B.B. Lal — B. B. Lal's name appears in Joshi's report, but in the acknowledgements: Joshi thanks A. Ghosh and B. B. Lal, former Directors General, for the chance to explore in Kutch and excavate at Surkotada.
Ghosh's encyclopaedia says Kalibangan was excavated over nine seasons between 1961 and 1969 by B. B. Lal and B. K. Thapar. B.B. Lal answers a question on the excavation of Kalibangan.
- (2)S.R. Rao — S. R. Rao did explore Kutch. Joshi's report credits him with finding a few Harappan sites there, naming Desalpar and Somaghoga; Joshi's encyclopaedia entry credits Surkotada to his own party.
Ghosh's encyclopaedia says Lothal was discovered by S. R. Rao in 1954 and excavated by him from 1954-55 to 1962-63. S.R. Rao answers a question on the discovery of Lothal.
- (3)Y.D. Sharma — In Ghosh's encyclopaedia, Y. D. Sharma writes that he excavated the mound at Ropar, on the left bank of the Sutlej, from 1952 to 1955 for the ASI.
The entry calls Ropar the site where Harappan remains were excavated for the first time in post-Partition India. Y.D. Sharma answers a question on the excavation of Ropar.
Concept
Surkotada is a fortified Harappan settlement in Kutch. Joshi's report places it 12 km north-east of Adesar and 160 km north-east of Bhuj, on a mound five to eight metres high.
In Ghosh's encyclopaedia Joshi describes a threefold sequence. In Period IA, which he dates to about 2300 BC, the Harappans built a fortified citadel and a residential annexe of mud brick, mud lumps and rubble; the citadel's massive rubble rampart with an elaborate gateway complex belongs to Period IC.
He also reports bones of Equus from the earliest levels, which he takes to show that the animal was known to the Harappans.
RPSC's 2023 syllabus lists "Cultural Foundations of India - Indus and Vedic Age" under Indian History.
Joshi's report says his Kutch survey was meant to throw light on the movement of the Harappans and their routes there. His encyclopaedia entry says Surkotada and the other sites found in northern Kutch indicate the expansion of Harappan culture from Sind to Gujarat by land routes.
That places Surkotada in the study of the Harappans in Gujarat alongside Lothal, which Ghosh's encyclopaedia credits to S. R. Rao.
Key facts
- J. P. Joshi's entry in Ghosh's encyclopaedia (1989): Surkotada was brought to light by him and his party while exploring northern Kutch, 1964–68.
- Joshi's ASI Memoir No. 87 (1990) dates his Kutch explorations to December 1964–January 1965, December 1965 and January 1968.
- Joshi's report says those explorations found as many as one hundred and twenty new sites, from prehistoric to historical times.
- Excavation years differ by source: Joshi's encyclopaedia entry gives 1970-72; his ASI report gives 1971 and 1972.
- Joshi dates Surkotada's whole cultural range to about 2300–1750 BC, in Ghosh's encyclopaedia.
Surkotada: Jagatpati Joshi, option (4). Source: A. Ghosh (ed.), An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology, Vol. II (1989).
Study next
Common traps
- Picking S. R. Rao because he explored Kutch: Joshi credits Rao with Desalpar and Somaghoga, and his own party with Surkotada.
- Reading B. B. Lal's name in the Surkotada report as discovery: Joshi thanks him as Director General for the opportunity to explore and excavate.
- Treating discovery and excavation as one date: Joshi's exploration began in December 1964, while the excavations came in the early 1970s.
A question can name a Harappan site and ask who discovered or excavated it, or match several sites to their excavators.
A question can also ask in which present-day state or region a site lies.
Related PYQs
UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2021 and 2013 here once those papers are published on this site.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Who discovered the Harappan site of Lothal in 1954?
- (a)Jagatpati Joshi
- (b)S. R. Rao
- (c)B. B. Lal
- (d)Y. D. Sharma
Answer(2) — Ghosh's encyclopaedia says Lothal was discovered by S. R. Rao in 1954 and excavated by him. Option (1) found Surkotada, option (3) excavated Kalibangan with B. K. Thapar, and option (4) excavated Ropar. - practice — not a real PYQ
Which Harappan site did Y. D. Sharma excavate from 1952 to 1955?
- (a)Surkotada
- (b)Kalibangan
- (c)Ropar
- (d)Lothal
Answer(3) — Y. D. Sharma writes in Ghosh's encyclopaedia that he excavated Ropar from 1952 to 1955. Option (1) is J. P. Joshi's site, option (2) was excavated by B. B. Lal and B. K. Thapar, and option (4) by S. R. Rao.