Ancient Cultures in Rajasthan :

Anatomically modern humans are thought to have arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Settled life, which involves the transition from foraging to farming and pastoralism, began in South Asia around 7,000 BCE. The domestication of wheat and barley, rapidly followed by that of goats, sheep, and cattle, has been documented at Mehrgarh, Balochistan. By 4,500 BCE, settled life had become more widely prevalent, and eventually evolved into the Indus Valley Civilization, an early civilization of the Old world, contemporaneous with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It flourished between 2,500 BCE and 1900 BCE in what today is Pakistan and north-western India, and was noted for its urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage, and water supply. There are many sites of ancient civilization in Rajasthan, these are :

Kalibangan Culture:

Kalibangan is a town located on the left or southern banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River) in Tehsil Pilibangan, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in Hanumangarh District, Rajasthan. It is also identified as being established in the triangle of land at the confluence of Drishadvati and Sarasvati Rivers.The prehistoric and pre-Mauryan character of Indus Valley Civilization was first identified by Luigi Tessitori at this site. Kalibangan's excavation report was published in its entirety in 2003 by the Archaeological Survey of India, 34 years after the completion of excavations. The report concluded that Kalibangan was a major provincial capital of the Indus Valley Civilization. Kalibangan is distinguished by its unique fire altars and "world's earliest attested ploughed field".

The identity of Kalibangan as a pre-historic site was discovered by Luigi Pio Tessitori, an Italian Indologist (1887–1919). He was doing some research in ancient Indian texts. He was surprised by the character of ruins in that area, and he sought help from Sir John Marshall of the Archaeological Survey of India. 

Gilund Culture:

Gilund is a village and an archaeological site located in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan state in western India. It is one of five ancient sites excavated in the Ahar-Banas Complexwhich also includes the sites of Ahar, Ojiyana, Marmi, and Balathal. Out of the 111 reported sites found in the Ahar-Banas Complex, Gilund is the largest. The archaeological site was named after the present-day village, Gilund, and is locally known as Modiya Magari which means "bald habitation mound".

Gilund was occupied from approximately 3000-1700 BCE as the region’s largest chalcolithic site.These years of occupation are divided into three phases: Late Ahar-Banas 2000-1700 BCE, Middle Ahar-Banas 2500-2000 BCE, and Early Ahar-Banas 3000-2500 BCE. Here various housing structures have been uncovered, as well as large buildings with long parallel walls, workshops, refuse heaps, and an exterior wall surrounding the site. Structures were made from mud brick and burnt brick.The workshop area has revealed that the occupants practiced small-scale craft production. Further analysis of the areas also shows that the inhabitants were agro-pastoralists, meaning that they mixed agricultural practices with livestock herding practices. This is evidently seen through the faunal remains of sheep, goat, and cattle and signifies a sedentary lifestyle.The variety of stone stools and ground stones discovered also suggest early social complexity as they were used for grain processing and grinding. The most common artifacts found in Gilund were ceramics.

Ganeshwar Culture:

Ganeshwar is a village in Neem-Ka-Thana Tehsil (Mandal) in the Sikar District of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Excavations in the area revealed the remains of a 4,000-year-old civilization.

Ganeshwar is located near the copper mines of the Sikar-Jhunjhunu area of the Khetri copper belt in Rajasthan. The Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture group has over 80 other sites currently identified.The period was estimated to be 2500–2000 BC. Historian Ratna Chandra Agrawal wrote that Ganeshwar was excavated in 1977. Excavations revealed copper objects including arrowheads, spearheads, fish hooks, bangles and chisels. With its microliths and other stone tools, Ganeshwar culture can be ascribed to the pre-Harappan period. Ganeshwar saw three cultural phases: Period 1 (3800 BCE) which was characterized by hunting and gathering communities using chert tools; Period II (2800 BCE) shows the beginnings of metal work in copper and fired clay pottery; Period III (2000 BCE) featured a variety of pottery and copper goods being produced. Nearly one thousand pieces of copper were found here. Red pottery was found here with black portraiture. Ganeshwar mainly supplied copper objects to Harappa.

Bairat Culture:

Bairat or ancient Viratnagar, the capital of Matsyadesa, is said to have been founded by king Virat, in whose kingdom the five Pandavas spent the thirteenth year of exile in disguise. The place is well-known for two Asokan inscriptions and important ancient Buddhist relics found here. Excavations carried out on the different terraces of this hill known as Bijak-ki-Pahari have yielded remains of a Mauryan circular stupa-shrine made of lime-plastered panels of brickwork alternating with twenty-six octagonal pillars of wood, preceded by monastic remains with a double row of cells arranged around an open square courtyard.

Ahar Culture:

The Ahar culture, also known as the Banas culture is a Chalcolithic archaeological culture on the banks ofAhar River of southeastern Rajasthan state in India, lasting from c. 3000 to 1500 BCE, contemporary and adjacent to the Indus Valley Civilization.

Nagari Culture:

Nagari (ancient Madhyamika), a fairly large sized township was the capital of the Sibi Janpada as per the find of coins from here having the legend Majhamikaye Sibi Janpadasa. Two Vaishnavite inscriptions of the second century B.C. recording the performance of an asvamedha sacrifice by one Sarvatata and another of vajapeyasacrifice have been found, while a third one refers to the erection of a Vishnu temple in  the first quarter of the fifth century A.D. In the excavation, three periods were distinguished, the first two being anterior to the stone fortification and seemingly without baked-brick structures, though limestone structures were known. They had both red and grey wares; the occurrence of the NBPW  was negligible, though the associated red ware was available. The settlement seems to have originated in circa 400 B.C., but both on the surface and sprodically in the lower levels, fluted cores and flakes were found. Period III was marked by the presence of the Red Polished Ware. Other finds of the site include terracotta human and animal figures in Sunga and Gupta styles, toys and flesh-rubbers, an ivory seal with swastika and taurine symbols and copper antimony rods and rings. The fortification probably originated in the Gupta times.

Baror Culture:

Baror  is an archeological site in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, India. It belongs with ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Pre Harappan and Harappan pottery has been found after excavation. The identity of Baror a pre-historic site was discovered by Luigi Pio Tessitori, an Italian Indologist (1887–1919) in 1916–17. In 2003–04, the Indian archeological survey started excavation under Sarasvati Heritage Project. A 400×300 square area was selected for excavation. In 2006–07, houses constructed with tiles, as well roads were discovered.

The archeologists have found pottery of Pre Harappan and Harappan period.A three-fold cultural sequence was established.

Period I – Pre-Harappan : Ceramics were made on wheel; they were red coloured and devoid of any painting. The fabric is coarse to medium, and made out of well-levigated clay. Storage jars, and miniature pots were found, as well as a few sherds of grey colour.The remains of the Hakra period ware were found here at the lowest levels. Period II – Harappan. Period III – Mature Harappan

The remains of mud brick houses were exposed. They were oriented north south along roads.

Tilwara Culture:

Tilwara, historically known as Khedgarh is a village in Pachpadra tehsil of Barmer district of Rajasthan state in India. Tilwara is situated on the Luni River and is a railway station on Jodhpur-Balotra route. The village is famous for Mallinath Fair held in March/April every year. Also called Tilwara cattle fair it lasts for two week.Tilwara is also an archeological site from where evidence for the Mesolithic culture have been excavated.