Bhagatrav – A Minor Harappan Site

Bhagatrav is a minor archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. It was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India led by Dr. S. R. Rao. 

Location of Bhagatrav

Bhagatrav is located in Hansot, 51 KM away from Surat, taluka of Bharuch district in south Gujarat, near the coastline with the Arabian Sea. It gives access to the agate-bearing mines and forested hills of the valleys of the rivers Narmada and Tapti.

Port

Bhagatrav seems to have been an important port similar to Lotha. However, backwaters of sea and floods from Kim river have washed out the site to a large extent and only an external area is left for exploration, and for eight months in a year, the site is surrounded by water.

Several lead pieces, many earth samples with rich iron contents, stone beads, evidence of the production of glazed ware (pottery) are found. It may have been a trading port contemporary to Lothal.

Significance

The flood was one of the reasons for the decline/destruction of some Harappan settlements such as Bhagatrav, Lothal, Rangpur, Desalpur, Chanhu-daro, etc.

This is one of the southernmost Harappan settlements and the distance between Manda, Jammu (one of the northernmost Harappan settlements located in Jammu and Kashmir) and Bhagatrav is about 1350 km.

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