A breakthrough excavation in the Rann of Kutch has led to the discovery of an elite burial ground belonging to a previously unknown Harappan outpost. The site features four massive steatite sarcophagi, an extremely rare find in the Indus Valley Civilization, where wood and clay were the standard burial materials. These stone coffins are intricately carved with motifs of unicorn seals and geometric patterns, suggesting a high-status merchant class that governed trade with the Persian Gulf.
The excavation team also recovered a collection of lapis lazuli amulets and gold-filigree jewelry buried with the deceased. Analysis of the surrounding soil reveals evidence of a specialized ritual embalming process using salt and aromatic resins, indicating a much more complex funerary tradition than previously documented for the Mature Harappan period. This discovery is expected to rewrite the social hierarchy models of the ancient Indus people.