Archaeology of Bet Dwarka Island : An Excavation Report

by A.S. Gaur and Sundaresh and K.H. Vora

The book incorporates archaeological findings, both from land and under-water explorations, carried out a Bet Dwarka by the Marine Archaeology Centre of the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa.

Bet Dwaraka is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Okhamandal region of Gujarat as it has preserved the longest cultural sequence, commencing from protohistoric period to modern times. The time bracket of archaeological remains have been well supported by the scientific dates such as Carbon, AMS and thermoluminescence. Other important scientific aspects discussed in the book are analysis of bones, palynological studies, impact of seismic activities and sea level changes of the study area.

The book begins with an introduction to the geological, geographic, archaeological and environmental background of the region and then devotes a chapter to chronology, dealing with cultural and scientific dates from the site. Planning and layout of trenches and cultural findings and identification of layers have been described in a separate chapter. A full chapter has been devoted to antiquities discovered during the excavation which includes beads of terracotta, shell, glass, stone and fish bone, copper objects, coins, shell bangles and iron objects. Another chapter comprises of the detailed description of the pottery of the protohistoric and historical period. The concluding chapter deals with the shell remains from the island of Bet Dwarka.

It is hoped that the book will help in understanding the maritime activities of the Okhamandal region and the cultural sequence of the Bet Dwarka island. Profusely illustrated with maps, line drawings and plates, the book will interest the general reader and will be immensely useful for the students and scholars of archaeology.

Contents:

1. Foreword
2. Preface
3. Introduction
4. Chronology
5. Cuttings and structures
6. Antiquities
7. Pottery
8. Ancient shell industry at Bet Dwarka Island
9. Annexures
10. References and Bibliography
11. Index.