History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s1.3

v1.c32.s1.3

The pre-historic sites explored by the Indo-French Mission recently in Rajasthan desert displayed “a distribution pattern showing that they were certainly located along with branches of irrigation canals as they were in lines not necessarily following the Palaco-channel of Chautang (river Dṛṣāvati)” (IAR, 1986, p. 97). Moreover, the method adopted by the Harappans was seasonal damming of the rivers on the smaller branches. These barrier dams would have inundated the lands thereby depositing the fertile silt on the smaller river banks. The soil was cleverly extracted and utilised by them for their soil requirements. This barrier-dam irrigation system was subsequently destroyed by the invaders (Kosambi, 1975, p. 75). This is well documented in a number of hymns addressed to Indra in the *Rgveda*. Hence, the technique of flood-irrigation was known to them. The pottery specimens with deep grooves found at Mohenjo-daro suggest the possibility of their being lashed to a wheel for raising water for irrigation. The discovery of a large number of wells at the same place shows that water was mainly derived from them for domestic and other purposes.