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

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.