Source: Intel IT Update
KOTDA MOUND, DHOLAVIRA, GUJARAT, INDIA, February 2, 2001: Beyond the endless mounds of concrete and bricks that are now this part of Gujarat, there is a patch of ancient history that withstood the devastating quake: Dholavira, a Harappan landmark. The biggest Indian site of the 5,000 year-old Indus Valley civilization remains solid while the structures built by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to provide shelter to its staff have crumbled. The site has suffered no damage at all. It was excavated only in the early 1990’s, nearly 20 years after it was discovered. Villages only a couple of miles away have been devastated by the quake. One could, of course, argue that the ancient site had already been through several earthquakes of this magnitude, and what damage could be done has been. Still, the contrast with the modern structures is stark. Of the six men employed to guard the site, five fled the day of the quake. The sixth remained only because he lives in Dholavira. The site is spread over 100 hectares and is believed to be the only town during that period to have an elaborate underground drainage system, houses, streets and wells. Every year, the ASI begins excavation in December and continues until April. This year, no excavation activity has started, reportedly because a team with technical expertise could not be drafted.