Rakhigarhi Harappan skeletal remains sent for scientific study: what ancient remains can reveal

Human skeletal remains dug up from the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana have been formally handed over by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), a national research body under the Union Ministry of Culture, for scientific study. The transfer was announced in an official release on June 22.

According to the announcement, archaeologists uncovered eight burials at the site's Mound Number 7 during excavations in the 2025-26 field season, the main period of the year when active digging and survey work is carried out. Three complete human skeletons, along with skeletal fragments from other burials, have been moved to AnSI's ancient human skeletal repository and laboratory in Kolkata, with the remaining material to follow. The transfer was carried out under a recently signed memorandum of understanding between the two institutions.

Rakhigarhi, in Haryana, is one of the largest known sites of the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilisation, sometimes also called the Indus-Saraswati Civilisation. The Harappan Civilisation flourished from about 2600 BCE and was known for well-planned cities, drainage systems, standardised bricks and trade. Studying skeletal remains from such sites can reveal what ancient people ate, the diseases they suffered, how long they lived, and, through ancient DNA, their ancestry and links to present-day populations. The research will be carried out with leading scientific institutions in India and abroad.

For India, this work matters for understanding the deep roots of its civilisation using modern science rather than guesswork. Ancient-DNA studies of Rakhigarhi remains have already shaped debates about the origins of South Asia's population. Such research strengthens evidence-based history and India's leadership in studying its own heritage.

For aspirants, this is a high-value art-and-culture and history current affair. Remember the key names: Rakhigarhi (in Haryana), the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), and the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilisation. Link it to the features of Harappan cities and to how science, including ancient DNA, is used to study the past.