Mobility and Variation in Chalcolithic North Gujarat, India (Ca 3600 – 1800 Bc)

Nine relatively obscure sites in the northern plain of Gujarat, India: Loteshwar, Santhli, Datrana, Nagwada, Langhnaj, Zekhada, Ratanpura and Kanewal; demonstrate a broad range of material culture traditions present in this region throughout the fourth through second millennia BC. This diversity results from the numerous economic strategies employed by the inhabitants of this region, the most important of which is mobility. Most of the sites reviewed in this work are the remains of temporary occupations, which are usually ascribed to pastoral nomads. Although pastoralism was an important subsistence strategy, a closer examination of the material culture and features at these sites shows there was a spectrum of approaches to mobility, which were related to different economic strategies. This work will show that despite many similarities, these sites do not represent a homogenous set of pastoralist camps. Instead, they document manifold activities, reflected through the uses of material culture and space.