Vadnagar: India’s Oldest Living City – UPSC

Why in News?

What are the Key Highlights of the Excavation at Vadnagar?

• Age of Settlement:
  • evidence of a human settlement found in Vadnagar dating back to as old as 800 BCE.
  • This places the settlement in the late-Vedic/pre-Buddhist Mahajanapadas or oligarchic republics period.
• Climate Influence: 
  • The 3,000-year history of various kingdoms rising and falling, as well as the frequent invasions by warriors from Central Asia, are said to have been caused by extreme climate shifts, such as differences in rainfall or droughts.
• Multicultural and Multireligious Settlement:
  • Vadnagar is described as a multicultural and multireligious settlement that included Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Islamic influences.
  • Radiocarbon dating shows that Vadnagar was successively ruled by various kingdoms and empires, including the Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians (Kshatrapa kings), Maitrakas (Gupta kingdom), Rashtrakuta-Pratihara-Chawada kings, Solanki kings (Chalukya rule), Sultanate-Mughals, and Gaekwad/British.
• Archaeological Artifacts:
  • discovered during the excavation, like pottery, copper, gold, silver, and iron objects. The findings also include intricately designed bangles and coin molds from the Indo-Greek rule.
• Buddhist Monastery:
  • One of the significant discoveries is the presence of one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Vadnagar, adding to the historical and cultural richness of the settlement.
• Radiocarbon Dates:
  • Unpublished radiocarbon dates suggest that the settlement could be as old as 1400 BCE, which challenges the notion of a Dark Age.
    • The “Dark Age” refers to the period between the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization and the emergence of the Iron Age and cities like Gandhar, Koshal, and Avanti in Indian history.
  • If true, it implies cultural continuity in India for the last 5500 years.
• Migration Trigger: The team inferred that cold arid/hyper-arid conditions might have triggered migration from central Asia.

Challenging the “Dark Age” Narrative

• Redefining Historical Gaps: The findings challenge the notion of a ‘Dark Age’ following the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization around 4,000 years ago and before the emergence of Iron Age cities like Gandhar, Koshal, and Avanti.
• Vadnagar’s Significance: Evidence from Vadnagar challenges this narrative, suggesting it as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities within a single fortification in India.
• Potential Harappan Continuity: Preliminary radiocarbon dating indicates that Vadnagar’s settlement could date back to 1400 BCE, aligning with the late phase of the post-urban Harappan period.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

• ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
• Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI.
• Besides it regulate all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham- the first Director-General of ASI. Alexander Cunningham is also known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.