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Kunal is a small 'rural' site, an archaeological 'village' as compared to 'towns' like Lothal and Kalibangan and 'cities' like
Rakhigarhi. Its on the bank of the dried Saraswati in the Fatehbad district
of Haryana. The artifacts unearthed in Kunal have not been seen before at a pre-Harappan site. The artifacts include seals,
terracotta cakes, script and natural motif. Kunal pottery depicts Harappan letters. Natural motif with both monochrome and bio chrome have been found. This implies a
transition from pre-Harappan culture to the full mature Harappan culture.
Some archaeologists even think that the pre-Harappan culture of Kunal and the Vedic culture are one and the same. They give the
example of triangle shaped terracotta cakes which they say are the symbol of fertility in Rig Veda. A painting with a horse and pipal motif, found in Kunal, are both
associated with the Vedic civilization. Further Kunal is situated on the banks of the dried Saraswati
river which is mentioned in the Rig Veda.
Kunal has three distinctive phases of the pre-Harappan culture. In the earliest people lived in pits. In the second, molded mud bricks were used to line the dwellings. In
the third phase bricks were used to make square and rectangular houses. Two silver crowns have also been found in Kunal, one a little smaller than the other. They may have
been used by the king or an elected headman and his consort.
Other jewellery found there include two tiaras, an armlet, a necklace, copper bangles, six disc-shaped gold beads and more than 10,000 beads of semi-precious stones like
carnelian, agate, steatite and lapis lazuli.
Kunal has added to the growing number of archaeological sites in Haryana. |