What it says
The lowest layer held Hakra ware and pit-dwellings, lying in a layer of its own below the Early Harappan. Charcoal from it gave radiocarbon dates of about 7570–7180 and 6690–6200 BCE. Other archaeologists point out that Hakra ware is dated to the 4th millennium BCE at other sites and that old charcoal can give dates older than the layer; a 2016 study dated the pottery by luminescence to check the claim. A sherd from the site carries a scratched figure that recalls the bronze Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro.
What it proves
If the early dates hold, the Sarasvati valley had villages as old as Mehrgarh’s; they are not yet settled and should be cited as claims.
