(SDNA) Rewriting Ancient History Through a Woman’s Lens: Rakhigarhi’s Archaeological Legacy and the Search for Women’s Place in the Indus Civilisation

From shell bangles and burial traditions to ancient DNA research, Haryana’s Rakhigarhi offers valuable clues to women’s lives, cultural practices and the evolution of one of South Asia’s earliest urban civilisations

(SDNA) Special Feature

By Dr. Priyanka Saurabh
Poet, Independent Journalist and Columnist
Hisar, Haryana

Beyond Kings and Empires: Recovering Women from the Pages of History

History is much more than a record of rulers, wars, empires and political transformations. It is also the story of countless women and men whose labour, relationships, beliefs and everyday activities shaped human civilisation. Yet, for generations, conventional historical narratives have often given women a limited place, portraying them primarily as family caretakers, custodians of traditions or silent participants in larger political developments.

The archaeological site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana’s Hisar district offers an opportunity to revisit this incomplete narrative. One of the largest known sites associated with the Indus Civilisation, Rakhigarhi has yielded evidence of planned settlements, drainage systems, brick structures, pottery, seals, beads, craft production, burial practices and human remains.

These discoveries help researchers understand not only urban planning and economic life but also the social and cultural contexts in which ancient communities lived. They raise important questions about women’s work, personal adornment, social identities, burial customs and possible contributions to craft traditions.

A woman-centred interpretation of Rakhigarhi does not mean assuming that its society was necessarily matriarchal or that women enjoyed social equality. Rather, it means treating women as subjects of historical investigation in their own right and examining the available evidence with scientific rigour.

Rakhigarhi: A Settlement Preserving the Memory of an Ancient Civilisation

Archaeological investigations have gradually expanded our understanding of Rakhigarhi and its place in the broader Indus Civilisation. Evidence from the site points to organised settlement patterns, residential structures, streets, drainage arrangements and specialised craft activities. Pottery, seals, beads, metal objects and ornaments reveal the technical skills and artistic traditions of the people who lived there.

The site’s cemetery is particularly significant because it provides an opportunity to investigate ancient attitudes towards death, burial and remembrance. Objects placed in graves, including pottery and ornaments, can offer clues about funerary customs and the material culture of the communities concerned.

However, archaeological evidence must be interpreted cautiously. The presence of a particular object in a grave does not, by itself, establish the deceased person’s social rank, religious beliefs or position within the family. Such conclusions require comparisons across multiple burials and supporting evidence from other archaeological contexts.

Rakhigarhi’s importance lies precisely in its ability to generate new questions. How was work divided within ancient households? What roles did women play in production and exchange? Did access to ornaments or other possessions vary according to age, community or social standing?

These questions can help make the study of the Indus Civilisation more inclusive without imposing assumptions that the evidence cannot support.

Shell Bangles and the Material World of Ancient Women

Among the discoveries associated with Rakhigarhi, reports of shell bangles and other ornaments found alongside female human remains have attracted particular attention. Archaeological accounts have also referred to ornaments made of gold and semiprecious stones in certain burial contexts.

Such objects are valuable evidence of ancient material culture. They invite researchers to investigate the significance of personal adornment, the availability of specialised crafts and the cultural practices surrounding the treatment of the dead.

Did bangles serve only decorative purposes, or could they also communicate social identity, community affiliation or particular cultural meanings? These are legitimate research questions, but they cannot be answered simply by comparing ancient objects with modern customs.

Bangles carry diverse meanings in contemporary Indian society, including associations with marriage and regional traditions. It would nevertheless be methodologically unsound to assume that identical meanings existed thousands of years ago without independent evidence.

Similarly, the discovery of valuable ornaments alongside a woman’s remains does not automatically prove that she held a privileged social position.

What the evidence does establish is that objects associated with women formed part of the material world of the Indus Civilisation and now contribute to our understanding of its inhabitants. These women should not be remembered only through their presumed relationships with rulers, warriors or religious figures. They were members of communities whose daily lives, relationships and activities helped sustain the civilisation.

The task of woman-centred history is not to assign convenient meanings to archaeological finds. It is to ask better questions and investigate the lives of ancient women with greater sensitivity and scientific discipline.

Women, Craftsmanship and Cultural Expression

The artistic and craft traditions of the Indus Civilisation demonstrate a considerable range of technical abilities. Bead-making, metalworking, pottery production, seal-making and the manufacture of ornaments point to specialised skills and established production practices.

An important question is how women participated in these activities. Did they contribute to craft production, household manufacturing or exchange networks? What economic value did their labour possess? How were skills transmitted across generations?

Archaeological evidence alone may not answer every question, but interdisciplinary research involving anthropology, material culture studies and comparisons with other societies can help develop a more nuanced understanding.

Historical accuracy is essential in this discussion. The famous bronze figurine popularly known as the ‘Dancing Girl’ was discovered at Mohenjo-daro, not Rakhigarhi. It is an iconic example of Indus artistic achievement, but its precise identity and function remain matters of interpretation.

Likewise, a figurine depicting a female form cannot automatically be identified as a dancer, goddess or member of a particular social group merely on the basis of its appearance. Its archaeological context, craftsmanship and comparison with other finds must be considered.

Nevertheless, the artistic traditions of the Indus Civilisation remind us that the history of a society cannot be reconstructed through political events and warfare alone. Everyday objects, aesthetic expression, craftsmanship and cultural symbols are equally important to understanding how people lived.

Investigating women’s possible contributions to these domains can illuminate aspects of the past that conventional historical narratives have often overlooked.

Ancient DNA from Rakhigarhi: A New Window into Population History

In 2019, a study published in the scientific journal Cell brought Rakhigarhi to international attention for its contribution to ancient DNA research.

A research team including Vasant Shinde and other collaborators investigated ancient human remains associated with the Indus Civilisation. After examining multiple samples, researchers successfully recovered usable genetic information from the remains of one individual, identified as female.

The study found genetic affinities connecting this individual to ancestry associated with ancient Iranian-related populations and ancient South Asian hunter-gatherer-related populations. The analysed genome did not show the steppe pastoralist-related ancestry that became an important component of the genetic ancestry of many later South Asian populations.

This finding contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of ancient population history in the northwestern Indian subcontinent.

However, the distinction between a scientific observation and a broader historical interpretation is crucial. One individual’s genome cannot represent the entire population of the Indus Civilisation, establish the language spoken by its inhabitants or determine all aspects of their cultural and religious identity.

Nor does this single study conclusively resolve every debate concerning Aryan migration or the relationship between the Indus Civilisation and later cultural traditions. Genetics, archaeology, linguistics and textual evidence investigate different aspects of the past. A comprehensive reconstruction requires their careful and critical evaluation together.

The real significance of the Rakhigarhi DNA research lies in expanding our knowledge of ancient South Asian populations and opening new avenues for further scientific investigation, rather than serving as definitive proof of any predetermined ideological position.

The Indus Civilisation and Vedic Traditions: Examining the Evidence

Another important question in Indian history concerns the relationship between the Indus Civilisation and Vedic traditions.

Structures interpreted as possible fire-related installations, along with other archaeological remains from various Harappan sites, have frequently featured in discussions about this relationship. Descriptions of Rakhigarhi have also referred to structures interpreted as possible fire altars or installations.

Yet, the shape of a structure or evidence of burning alone cannot establish that the same rituals described in later Vedic literature were performed there. Such an interpretation requires evidence from the structure’s archaeological context, associated artefacts, scientific dating and comparison with other sites.

The relationship between Harappan cultural practices and later Indian traditions remains an important subject for research. Both continuity and change must be considered when interpreting the evidence.

Civilisations evolve through migration, interaction, exchange, local innovation and changing social conditions. It is therefore unwise either to dismiss all possible connections between historical traditions or to declare them identical without adequate proof.

A balanced approach allows researchers to investigate cultural continuities while recognising the distinct characteristics of different historical periods.

Folk Memory and Archaeological History

Local traditions and popular narratives can also form part of a site’s cultural identity. Stories passed down through generations often reveal how communities remember their past and establish emotional connections with particular landscapes.

Some explanations linking the name Rakhigarhi with the settlement of widows of soldiers killed in the Mahabharata war have circulated as local narratives. Such accounts should be treated as folklore unless independent archaeological, epigraphic or other reliable evidence establishes their historical basis.

This distinction does not diminish the cultural value of oral traditions. Folk memory can provide important insights into community identity, collective imagination and changing interpretations of the past.

The essential requirement is to distinguish between a community’s traditional beliefs and independently verified historical facts. Studied together, both can contribute to a richer understanding of the relationship between people, places and their remembered past.

Why Women Must Become Central to Historical Research

For generations, mainstream historical writing has frequently prioritised dynasties, warfare, rulers and political institutions. Domestic labour, craft production, childcare, social relationships and the transmission of cultural knowledge have often received comparatively less attention.

Women-centred history seeks to address this imbalance. Its purpose is not simply to celebrate women through heroic narratives, but to investigate their actual living conditions, labour, access to resources, social position and cultural contributions.

This requires collaboration across archaeology, anthropology, sociology, genetics, art history and environmental studies.

At Rakhigarhi, human remains, ornaments, residential structures and craft materials provide potential starting points for such research. Future investigations may help researchers better understand divisions of labour, differences in access to resources and the ways social identities were formed within ancient communities.

Many of these questions remain unresolved. Their inclusion in archaeological research, however, is an essential step towards a more comprehensive history.

Heritage Conservation and the Responsibility of Education

Rakhigarhi is not merely a remnant of the past; it is an important source of knowledge for present and future generations. Its preservation requires scientific excavation, systematic documentation and long-term conservation.

Archaeological sites should not be developed solely as tourist attractions. They should also serve as centres for research, education and meaningful engagement with local communities.

Scientific preservation of excavated materials, digital documentation, research facilities and accessible public interpretation can help make archaeological knowledge more widely available. Involving local women, young people, teachers and community groups in heritage initiatives can also strengthen the connection between archaeology and everyday life.

Schools and universities should encourage students to examine evidence rather than simply memorise established conclusions. Rakhigarhi offers an opportunity to demonstrate how archaeologists interpret material remains, why scientific conclusions have limitations and how new discoveries can lead to the reassessment of existing historical explanations.

Giving greater attention to women’s experiences, labour and contributions in educational curricula is an important part of this process.

Conclusion: Reclaiming a More Complete Story of Civilisation

Rakhigarhi remains one of the most important archaeological sites for understanding the ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. Its settlement remains, craft materials, ornaments, human burials and ancient DNA research provide valuable insights into the social and cultural dimensions of the Indus Civilisation.

Findings associated with female remains and personal ornaments, in particular, create opportunities to investigate the lives of ancient women and their place within their communities.

At the same time, the available evidence does not justify declaring the Harappan society definitively matriarchal or uniformly woman-centred. Nor can the genetic study of a single individual conclusively settle every debate concerning migration, language or cultural continuity.

A scientific approach to history requires respect for evidence, recognition of its limitations and openness to future discoveries.

Yet Rakhigarhi offers an important reminder: civilisation is not merely the story of kings, cities and monumental achievements. It is also the story of women whose lives, work and cultural experiences have left traces preserved beneath the earth.

Their ornaments, burial contexts and the artistic traditions of their time invite us to examine the past through a more humane and inclusive perspective.

The true value of Rakhigarhi lies not in proving a predetermined historical narrative, but in encouraging new questions and evidence-based inquiry. When women are studied not merely as symbols but as independent subjects of historical research, our understanding of civilisation can become more complete.

Rakhigarhi offers precisely this opportunity: to look beyond the familiar accounts of the past and investigate the lives, culture and contributions of the women who helped shape the ancient world.

About the Author: Dr. Priyanka Saurabh holds a PhD in Political Science and is a poet, independent journalist and social commentator based in Hisar, Haryana.