Today’s goat was photographed at an amazing place called Rakhigarhi by my partner who is currently working in Haryana, a state in northwest India. Rakhigarhi is home to two villages, Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shapur which are situated on top of an ancient city, 4,500 years old, part of a constellation of ancient cities belonging to what archaeologists call the Indus Valley Civilization. Unlike other ancient civilizations with clear evidence of social hierarchy such as pyramids, elaborate burials or elite palaces, the Indus left behind few traces of these markers. Needless to say, the people who lived in Indus Valley cities and settlements had standardised units of measurement, a system of writing, and networks of homes and workshops within centres that appeared to be in contact with one another and as far away as Mesopotamia. Archaeological investigations in 2018 revealed a cemetery that has been the subject of much debate. However, the villages carry on farming, herding buffalo and sometimes goats, and are quite welcoming to researchers and foreigners. I had the privilege of living in Rakhigarhi for a few months in 2012, and it was one of the most transformative and wonderful experiences of my life. I am happy to share this goat with you and to reflect on my time at such a special place.

Rakhigarhi – a 4,500 year old city and a modern village in the heart of northwest India.