Luminescence Chronology of a Second Millennium BCE Settlement near Porbandar on the GUjarat Coast, India

An onshore excavation at Bokhira (Porbandar) on the Saurashtra coast has revealed a late Harappan settlement dating back to the early 2 nd millennium BCE. Four trenches were dug in an agricultural land where an occupational deposit was noticed up to a depth ofSO cm. A large amount of pottery and other antiquities similar to those reported from other late Harappan sites ofSaurashtra have been found here. Chronology ofhuman occupation at this site was obtained through thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating oftwo potshards. The obtained luminescence ages are found to be in agreement with other archaeological findings. We discuss the implications of the luminescence ages on the maritime history of the area and the cultural sequences oflate Harappan civilisation. aurashtra coast on the western margin of India has been a favourable area for human settlement since the early stone age (Marathe 1981). A large number of sites dating back to the mid 3'd millennium BCE have been discovered and a few o