Definition: Kot Diji is an important Harappan civilization site located in the Rohri Hills of Khairpur province of Pakistan. The name means "Fort of the Daughter" and it refers to the 18th century AD Talpur Dynasty fortress, located on the top of an imposing massif above the Indus River. Kot Diji is also the type site for the Kot Diji culture, the earliest phase of the Harappa civilization.
The site has two parts with extensive Harappan occupations from Early through Mature period (ca 3500-2000 BC). The upper part is a forty-foot high tell; the lower is the settlement below. Artifacts recovered from the site include copper-bronze objects, bangles and arrowheads; etched carnelian and other beads; and numerous terracotta human, bull, and bird effigy figurines.
Extensive excavations were conducted at Kot Diji by F.A. Khan and G.S. Ghurye of the Pakistan Department of Archaeology in the 1950s.
The site has two parts with extensive Harappan occupations from Early through Mature period (ca 3500-2000 BC). The upper part is a forty-foot high tell; the lower is the settlement below. Artifacts recovered from the site include copper-bronze objects, bangles and arrowheads; etched carnelian and other beads; and numerous terracotta human, bull, and bird effigy figurines.
Extensive excavations were conducted at Kot Diji by F.A. Khan and G.S. Ghurye of the Pakistan Department of Archaeology in the 1950s.
Sources
There are some great photos of Kot Diji on Flickr, mostly of the 18th century fort, which is enormously photogenic.
Possehl, Gregory L. 2002. The Indus civilization: A contemporary perspective. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek, California.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Also Known As: Fort Ahmadabad (the 18th century fort)
Alternate Spellings: Kot digi, Kotdiji
