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Geoarchaeological Heritage of Kachchh Region, Gujarat, Western India: Geotourism Potentials

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Abstract

The evolution and proliferation of human civilization garner great interest, not only from the scientific community but also from the general public. Each year, millions of tourists visit archaeological locations across the globe. Ancient civilizations are often shrouded in mystery due to the limited data available from archaeological structures. Allied sciences like geology have been of tremendous assistance in understanding the relationship between man and the environment. The Kachchh region is home to several sites of the Indus Civilization (also known as the Harappan Civilization). Due to its geological setting, Kachchh also has unique structural, geomorphological, petrological, paleontological and archaeological attributes. Therefore, the region attracts the attention of geologists, archaeologists and tourists alike. The present study describes Harappan sites in Kachchh which have been proposed as potential locations for geoarchaeological tourism. Since UNESCO World Heritage archaeological sites like Dholavira are already popular with tourists, it acts as an impetus for geotourism and geoarchaeological research. Geoarchaeological tourism in Kachchh can serve as a great avenue for boosting the economy of the local communities by utilization of the existing geological and archaeological assets and contributing to the nation’s growth.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science, Kachchh University, and the Dept of Archeology, University of Kerala, for their extended support. Adarsh Thakkar and Anil Chavan would like to acknowledge SHODH-ScHeme Of Developing High-quality research, Government of Gujarat, for funding the PhD work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Science, K.S.K.V. Kachchh University, Bhuj, 370001, Gujarat, India

    Adarsh Thakkar, Anil Chavan, Subhash Bhandari, Gaurav Chauhan & M. G. Thakkar

  2. Department of Archaeology, K.S.K.V. Kachchh University, Bhuj, 370001, Gujarat, India

    Jaypalsinh M Jadeja & Subhash Bhandari

  3. Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, Kerala, India

    S. V. Rajesh & G. S. Abhayan

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  1. Adarsh Thakkar
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Thakkar, A., Jadeja, J.M., Rajesh, S.V. et al. Geoarchaeological Heritage of Kachchh Region, Gujarat, Western India: Geotourism Potentials. Geoheritage 14, 128 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-022-00748-y

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