Ancient Indians (Harappan settlement) were aware of tsunami/storm protection measures: A new interpretation of thick walls at Dholavira, Gujarat, India
View/ Open
Date
2016Author
Nigam, R.
Dubey, R.
Saraswat, R.
Sundaresh
Gaur, A.S.
Loveson, V.J.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Dholavira, an archaeological site of Harappan times in Gujarat, had ‘city fortification’ as a unique aspect of its town planning. The thickness of the main city wall is alarming3, 9, 10. The probable cause of such massive outer protective wall is yet unaddressed. On the basis of (a) location of Dholavira, (b) lack of conspicuous proto-historic military evidences, and (c) the climatic scenario during mid-Holocene, we suggest that the walls must have acted as a defense against sea storms/tsunami waves. Dholavirans were probably aware of the magnitude of destruction caused by tsunami waves/storms, henceforth, had come up with protective measure as defense wall. Similar sea walls/ breakers/dikes built as protection against sea storms/tsunami can be found in several coastal cities, even today.
Collections
- Scholarly literature [9074]