Will Dholavira
ruins rewrite history of ancient theatre?
Robin David, TNN, Feb 1, 2011, 09.40am IST
AHMEDABAD: The 5,000-year-old Harappan ruins of Dholavira in
Kutch have the capacity to rewrite an important portion of the
history of theatre of the world. Until now, it was believed that
Greek and Roman theatre, with their amphitheatres and poignant
plays, were the oldest in the world - dating back 2,500 to 3,500
years. But, archaeologists who excavated Dholavira say they found
remains of what can be the world's oldest stage.
Well-known archaeologist R S Bisht, who is credited with excavating
Dholavira, says, "We found a multipurpose open field which
must have been used for everything, from sports like wrestling
and bullock cart races, to plays." The field is 283 metres
by about 45 metres and is placed between a citadel or what is
known as the upper town, and the middle town in the ruins.
Of course, plays in those days were not the same as today. They
were more like a joyous procession with a variety of performances,
including skits and dances happening at the same time.
Yadubirsingh Rawat, director of Gujarat government's department
of archaeology who was part of Bisht's original team, adds, "You
can call the field 'rangbhoomi' or arena or stadium. We found
steps around it which were used as stands for the audience. Also,
they seemed to be adding a new layer of mud to the field every
year. The mud was imported from outside Dholavira." This
layering gave the stage unique acoustics and sonorous quality.
Adds Bisht, "The stands had gates with stones that look
worn out, as if bullock cart after bullock cart had passed over
it. The stadium was a very popular part of the Dholavira settlement."
One corner of the field has a smaller stadium which could have
been the green room where performers dressed up before walking
onto the main stage. It could also have been used for exclusive
shows for the royalty of the time.
"We excavated a small two metre by two metre portion of
the field and found it was scattered with hundreds of jewellery
beads," Bisht says. "You can imagine performers decked
in beads from top to bottom, freely dancing and the beads falling
everywhere
The excavators also found row after row of peg holes, which may
have been used to erect temporary stalls and dividers during performances.
Read more: Will Dholavira ruins rewrite history of ancient theatre?
- The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/Will-Dholavira-ruins-rewrite-history-of-ancient-theatre/articleshow/7400422.cms#ixzz1CviHuxH8