Cattle at Kotada Bhadli: Zooarchaeological Perspectives on Bovine Use in the Late Mature Harappan Period

Pankaj Goyal1*, Nibedita Naskar1, Prabodh Shirvalkar1 and Y.S. Rawat2

This paper examines the remains of cattle from the Late Mature Harappan site of Kotada Bhadli in Kachchh, Gujarat, to explore the multiple roles of bovines in Indus society. Drawing solely on the faunal assemblage, it considers patterns of species representation, age and sex profiles, skeletal-part distribution, and evidence for exploitation of primary and secondary products to reconstruct strategies of cattle management and use. The analysis suggests a herd structure oriented toward both traction and dairy, alongside slaughter for meat, indicating a carefully balanced regime aimed at securing labour, food, and renewable resources over the long term. Variability in body-part representation and culling patterns is used to discuss how different categories of animals, such as working oxen, breeding cows, and surplus young stock, were differentially valued and utilized. By foregrounding cattle remains rather than architectural or artefactual data, the study highlights how zooarchaeological evidence alone can illuminate questions of risk management, herd planning, and the embedding of bovines in everyday routines and seasonal cycles. The results contribute to broader debates on cattle-centred economies in the Indus Civilization and demonstrate the potential of detailed bovine assemblages from sites like Kotada Bhadli to refine our understanding of human–animal relationships in Late Mature Harappan Gujarat.