Rajkot: It was called “Ujadagaon” — a deserted village — by BSF personnel who first spotted unusual structural remains in this remote landscape close to the Indo-Pak border in Kutch.But archaeological investigations have now revealed that the seemingly barren site was once a thriving medieval settlement.Provisionally named Barbadgaon by archaeologists, the settlement contains extensive structural remains, including brick enclosures and paved surfaces, besides pottery and other domestic artefacts. Preliminary assessment suggests that it was occupied mainly during the Soomra period between the 11th and 14th centuries CE.The discovery was announced by Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kachchh (KSKVK) University and the University of Oxford following extensive research.The site was first noticed by BSF personnel during routine patrols in 2023-24. The unusual remains scattered across the remote frontier landscape prompted the personnel to refer to the place as “Ujadagaon” (deserted village).Researchers from KSKVK University later conducted the first scientific reconnaissance with BSF assistance. Experts from the Physical Research Laboratory, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences and Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute subsequently examined the site.“When we examined the locality, it quickly became evident that this was a substantial archaeological settlement rather than an isolated structure. The density of structural remains, the enclosure features and the associated pottery immediately suggested that we were looking at an important historical site,” said Gaurav Chauhan, assistant professor at KSKVKU.The archaeological evidence points to a settlement with a sizeable population and an organised way of life. Among the artefacts documented at the site are terracotta rice hullers, oil lamps, storage jars, domestic pottery, a copper coin and a terracotta camel figurine. Preliminary dating is based largely on surface ceramics and comparisons with material from medieval settlements in lower Sindh.“The terracotta rice hullers, lamps and associated domestic pottery place the site comfortably within the broader medieval cultural landscape of the lower Indus. At the same time, archaeology reminds us that settlements are rarely isolated events. They occupy landscapes with much longer histories,” added Prabodh Shirvalkar, professor at Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune.The rice-processing implements could offer important clues about the settlement’s economy. Researchers said seasonal inundation may have supported rice cultivation in the region, including a local variety known as Garrha rice. The presence of storage vessels and other domestic artefacts further points to a settled community engaged in food production and everyday trade and activity.The site also contains a burial ground with around 100 human skeletons. Researchers believe the remains were exposed naturally following an earthquake. The heads of all the skeletons are oriented towards the west.The settlement’s location may be equally significant. Barbadgaon stands on elevated ground in a landscape repeatedly transformed by shifting rivers, tidal incursions, sedimentation and tectonic activity. Its position suggests that it may have stood along a maritime corridor distinct from the better-known Kori River-Dhoro Puran-Nara route.Researchers believe eastern distributaries of the lower Indus may once have flowed towards the Sir Creek system, creating navigable links between inland settlements and the Arabian Sea. Such waterways could have enabled the movement of people, agricultural produce and other goods, linking settlements in what is today a border region.The landscape, now divided by an international boundary, may therefore once have functioned as an integrated cultural and environmental zone.“Modern international boundaries divide landscapes whose archaeological histories extend across millennia. Barbadgaon provides a rare opportunity to investigate a frontier landscape where the Indus, the Hakra system, tidal creeks and maritime routes interacted through time,” said Ajay Yadav, a researcher at the University of Oxford.The investigations are now part of a multidisciplinary collaboration between KSKVKU and Oxford. Researchers hope further exploration and scientific dating will establish the settlement’s precise chronology, economy and role in the region’s ancient and medieval networks.For now, Barbadgaon remains a provisional name, as its original historical identity is yet to be established. What began as a place called “Ujadagaon” by patrol teams may ultimately help bring to light a forgotten chapter of Kutch’s maritime past.
