Did humans live in Kachchh 5000 years before the Harappans and eat THIS? Read to find out

History keeps evolving with every new discovery. Sometimes, what we consider the beginning of civilization in a region turns out to be only a chapter in a much longer and richer story.
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That's exactly what a team of researchers has found in Gujarat's Kachchh region. Long before the Harappans built their cities, human communities were already living, surviving, and adapting to the land and its environment.
These weren't city builders or traders yet, but they were intelligent, observant, and deeply connected to the natural world around them. A recent research study, released in a press note titled "Shell Chronicles of Ancient Kachchh" by the Ministry of Education, has revealed some archaeological evidence that places humans in this region at least 5,000 years before the Harappan civilisation.
The study was conducted by researchers from IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN), in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), Delhi, and Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad. According to Prof. V.N. Prabhakar, the lead investigator from IITGN, 'Our study is the first to identify these sites, confirm their cultural significance, and establish a chronological context.'
The early humans ate this…
These early communities, according to researchers, lived in a mangrove-rich landscape and heavily relied on shellfish like oysters and snails for food.
Shell heaps, known as middens, were found in various parts of Khadir and nearby islands. These were once dismissed as natural deposits but are now recognized as evidence of early human life.
To confirm the age of these findings, the team used Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), a high-precision method that measures Carbon-14 levels to date organic remains. This method, paired with tree-ring calibration, helped establish a timeline that predates the Harappans.
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Shells collected were analysed at PRL, Ahmedabad, and IUAC Delhi with support from experts like Prof Ravi Bhushan, JS Ray, and Dr Pankaj Kumar, according to Prof.
Prabhakar.
Some tools were also discovered
Interestingly, the
also found stone tools such as blades, scrapers, and used cores, suggesting a community skilled in tool-making. As Dr Shikha Rai, a postdoctoral researcher and co-author, stated, 'The presence of these tools and associated raw materials suggests that the communities engaged in the prolific manufacture of implements for daily tasks.'
The researchers believe these early groups had deep knowledge of their environment, and this may have later helped the Harappans in planning settlements and trade routes. Prof. Prabhakar noted, 'Instead of abrupt external influence, what we see here is a gradual, locally rooted process of adaptation and cultural development.'
Earlier research done at IIT Gandhinagar had already studied the climate history of Khadir Island going back over 11,500 years. Now, with the discovery of these ancient shell middens, scientists believe they can learn even more. By closely examining these shells, researchers hope to understand what the climate was like when early humans lived in the area.
These natural remains hold clues about rainfall, temperature, and sea levels from thousands of years ago. This can help build a clearer picture of how ancient people adapted to changes in their environment

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