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Geologic constraints on the Harappa archaeological site, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Author(s) -
Belcher Wayne R.,
Belcher William R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6548(200010)15:7<679::aid-gea3>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - geology , archaeology , settlement (finance) , erosion , groundwater , hydrology (agriculture) , mining engineering , geography , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , world wide web , computer science , payment
The geologic setting of an urban environment affects the development of that particular urban culture. Human activities can involve devegetation, soil loosening, soil‐water and ground‐water changes, soil erosion, and changes in surface‐water hydrology. This article focuses on how the geologic resources and history of the Punjab region have greatly influenced the cultural development of the Bronze Age city of Harappa, located in northeast Pakistan. Archaeological deposits at this site date between at least 3300 B.C. and 1700 B.C. A geologic and geomorphic framework is provided which presents the relationships of the ancient Harappans with their local and regional environment, with these geologic processes affecting both the initial settlement and development of this ancient urban center. Buried soil elevation data, mapped soil distributions, and geomorphic models are used to construct an approximation of the preoccupation paleotopography beneath this site. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.