Kot Diji: Gateway to the Ancient Indus Valley Culture
Kot Diji (Sindhi: ڪوٽ ڏیجي; Urdu: کوٹ ڈیجی) is an ancient archaeological site located about 45 kilometers south of Khairpur in Sindh, on the east bank of the Indus River, directly opposite Mohenjo-daro. Dating back to around 3300 BCE, it was an important part of the early Indus Valley Civilization.
Structure and Excavations
The site comprises two main sections: a citadel built on elevated ground approximately 12 meters high and a surrounding residential area. Excavations carried out by the Pakistan Department of Archaeology in 1955 and 1957 under F.A. Khan revealed the earliest cultural assemblage of the Indus Civilization, now known as the Kot Dijian culture.
Geographic and Historical Significance
Located at the base of the Rohri Hills, the Kot Diji Fort was constructed around 1790 AD by Mir Suhrab Talpur, the ruler of Upper Sindh from 1783 to 1830 AD. This fort, perched on a steep and narrow hill ridge, remains well-preserved today and symbolizes the strategic importance of the area throughout history.
Culture and Its Origins
This kot is historically significant as the type site of the Diji culture, an early phase of the Indus Civilization. The culture’s earliest known site is Kunal, located in Haryana, India, dating back to 4000 BCE. Artifacts from Kunal, such as a button seal depicting deer, suggest cultural links with Rehman Dheri and support the idea of a shared cultural heritage that evolved into the Harappan culture.
Connection to Other Pre-Harappan Sites
Sites like Banawali, Diji Kot, Amri, Rehman Dheri, and Kalibangan share elements of an indigenous pre-Harappan culture. Cultural layers at Banawali (Level I), Kot of Diji (Level 3A), and Amri (Level II) are distinct from those of the Mature Harappan phase, but show a clear evolution toward it.
Urban Planning and Early Civilization
This site, covering 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres), reveals early urban planning. In its earliest layer (Kot Diji I, around 2605 BCE), structures were made from unbaked mud bricks. Tools made of chert resemble those from Mundigak, while pottery styles foreshadow later Harappan designs.
Artifacts and Technological Developments
Bronze was used mainly for ornaments, while the potter’s wheel was already in use. The site featured a citadel area for the elite and an outer residential zone. Artifacts include storage jars, terracotta toy carts, figurines, bangles, beads, and early bronze arrowheads. The presence of toy carts suggests early use of wheels.
Transition to the Harappan Phase
The kot of fort presents a gradual transition to the Harappan civilization. Pottery evolved from Ravi styles to the distinctive red slip with black painted designs of Kot Diji ware. Eventually, these transformed into typical Harappan pottery styles. Early Indus script markings on pottery and seals suggest the development of writing and standardized systems.
Widespread Cultural Influence
Late the forte’s pottery has been found in distant sites such as Burzahom in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating cultural and trade links across the region. The spread of Kot Diji culture laid the foundation for the widespread Indus Valley Civilization.
Destruction and Mysterious Burn Layers
Both the citadel and residential areas of Kot of fort show extensive signs of burning. Similar destruction layers are also found at other Early Harappan sites like Gumla, Amri, Naushero, and Kalibangan. The exact reasons for these burnings remain unknown, adding a layer of mystery to the site’s history.
Nearby Forts: Rani Kot
Also located in Sindh is the impressive Rani Kot Fort. Believed to have origins in the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the fort was used by the Soomro and Samma tribes, later armed by the Mughals and extensively renovated. It was under the control of the Kalhora and Talpur dynasties before the British conquest in 1843