ALL OF US ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE HARAPPANS

Vasant Shinde led the excavation of Rakhigarhi (Haryana) and co-authored two landmark papers published in Cell and Science, in 2019, based on the DNA analysis of a 4,500-year-old female skeleton recovered from the site. The study grabbed eyeballs as it provided the first genetic insights into our ancestry, and the findings were included in NCERT textbooks.

- PRATUL SHARMA

However, it also sparked a debate, with some scholars being divided over the interpretation of the data, especially in relation to the contentious Aryan invasion or migration theory.

Shinde, who also served as the vice-chancellor of Deccan College, is overseeing the establishment of a national maritime museum in Lothal, a massive project expected to open within a year. In an interview with THE WEEK, Shinde spoke about the significance of Rakhigarhi, its most famous woman and addressed lingering doubts about the findings. Excerpts:

Why is Rakhigarhi so important?

There was no clear idea about the size of Rakhigarhi before our excavations. The site is spread over 500 hectares, which is double the size of the biggest known Harappan city of Mohenjo-daro. [With Rakhigarhi] we now know that the beginning of the Harappan culture goes back to 6000 BCE. This is important because we did not have such early dates before.

What answers did Rakhigarhi provide?

We found good evidence of the gradual growth of the Harappan city.... In the case of architecture, we found that they began with simple, circular pit dwellings. Four or five dwellings formed a cluster. So each one used for a different purpose, be it for sleeping, as a kitchen or for storage. This is how they started in 6000 ВСЕ.

In the next level, maybe in around 5500 BCE, they continued to build circular huts but not underground. Then in the third phase, we find proper rectangular Harappan structures. In the fourth stage, there is some modicum of planning as structures are arranged in a linear pattern, and roads and streets started coming up. In the fifth phase,full-fledged townships emerge.

How did the process of DNA extraction happen?