An ichthyoarchaeological investigation into the Harappan settlement at Kanmer in Gujarat, India

Abstract

Through an ichthyoarchaeological approach, 452 fish skeletal elements were identified to taxonomic levels from 1220 fragments of fish bones from the excavation of Harappan settlement at Kanmer in Gujarat datable to c. 2600–1900 BCE. Nine fish families were identified which include Latidae, Bagridae, Sparidae, Ariidae, Siluridae, Carcharhinidae/Dasyatidae, Cyprinidae, Haemulidae and Sciaenidae. This paper presents aspects of fish utilization at Kanmer which include the diversity of fish species used, the temporal changes in fish consumption, the spatial distribution of fish, the pattern of fish processing, fishing environments and their reflections on climatic changes. At the site, the marine fishery was dominated along with the parallel existence of freshwater fishery and the latter was intensified during the late part of the occupation. The pattern of fish processing, preservation and distribution was observed from the bone modification evidence and fish skeletal element distribution. Furthermore, the fish remains reveal information regarding the fishing environments and implications in the climatic changes in the region of Gulf of Kachchh. Significantly, this study contributes to the overall understanding of the subsistence (animal and plant-based) of the Harappans at Kanmer, in addition to emphasising the potential of ichthyoarchaeological studies in the South Asian region. Such approaches, so far, have been lacking in this region despite the presence of fish bone assemblages from excavations in significant quantities.