Report Writing

An on-field experience of being a professional

  

Satish Ghosh,

Baroda,

21^st December, 2015

The medieval India was known for its exquisite architectural designs, flourishing kingdoms and material wealth. Indus Valley Civilization or the Harappan civilization was the biggest at its time, and historians and archeologists have ever since been in the quest of expanding their knowledge about it.

Kotdi a small village in Rajasthan according to the recent researches was supposed to be once a homeland of the Harappans. My team and I were appointed by the 'society of archeology' based at Mumbai to investigate the remnants of Kotdi. It was 6^th of April. The scorching heat of the mid-noon practically burnt us alive. The summers are tormenting and one must equip himself with cotton clothes, enough of lemonade and body spares of course before leading an expedition in this region. The only route available is via the local bus - the personal vehicles cannot march through the interiors of Rajasthan. It took about fifty odd minutes to reach our destination starting from the railway station. We were a little dismayed to see the barren land with sparse vegetation. To work in the atrocious weather, digging the land with right tools is a mammoth task if one has been a visitor for the first time! The land being rocky at a depth of 20meters Mark-3 Ploughs and small-head hammers must be used. Hand gloves are a must in addition to sunglasses to not only protect ourselves from heat but also dust. The area in our jargons is arduous, so it took roughly about 2 weeks working at the rate of eight hours a day!

Nonetheless the people were quite welcoming. Their little huts serves as a boon to us. Their cuisine is extraordinarily luscious! Men are identified by their baritone while females had a little eccentric accent. We were aided in all possible ways. It is their service that has made this field trip successful. Mr. Manoj on behalf of the entire community opined, "Well sir it is our moral duty to support our country."

"Please welcome our group of prolific researchers." was the first statement that I heard upon our return. And then an applause. Our presentation included various snap shots, short clippings and a few live sample of the 'yet unidentified objects'! To sum it all up the trip was a great success and everyone was thrilled - having gained knowledge of this place Kotdi!