Early farming communities of Central India- Neolithic remains of Belan valley.pptx

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1. Early farming communities of Central India: Neolithic remains of Belan valley, Vindhyan foot-hills Dr. Virag Sontakke Assistant Professor A.I.H.C. & Archaeology Banaras Hindu University

2. Early farming communities of Central India: Neolithic remains of Belan valley, Vidnhyan foot-hills and Ganga plains

3. Neolithic Period Last stage of the stone age/Paleolithic Advanced change in human development The period of food producing Large-scale domestication of animals Consumption of flora (plant food) Stone tools : Polished stone axes, Adze, hammer stones, anvils, querns and mullers

4. Neolithic Cultivated crops and domesticated animals. Established permanent settlements, Agriculture was discovered in the Neolithic period. They raised goats, sheep and oxen for their meat and other products and uses. Pottery was used for food storage. People started to live in villages during the Neolithic period. People started to make cloth with simple looms; bake clay into pottery; fish with nets, and raise animals and crops. Time: 10000-2000 BCE

5. Neolithic

6. Neolithic

7. Vindhyan Neolithic Vindhyan Neolithic is characterized by S edentism, C haracteristic pottery, R ounded polished stone objects, B one tools, C hert blades, S crappers An economy based on domesticated cattle and rice agriculture

8. after Tewari 2004

9. Neolithic of Vindhya and Belan Valley Koldihwa Mahagara Tokwa Agiabir Pachoh

10. After Singh et. al 2022

11. After Singh et. al 2022

12. Koldihwa Location : 80 km N-E from Prayagraj Situation : on the left bank of Belan Habitation Remains: Mound (500 x 200 m.) Excavation : G.R. Sharma Culture sequence: Neolithic Chalcolithic

13. after Tewari 2004

14. Tools : Rounded celts with flat sides, ringstone and microliths Material : Basalt and granite (for celts) Material : Chert, chalcedony, agate, carnelian, jasper and quarts Koldihwa : Tool Assemblages

15. celts

16. An example of ringstone reuse; the ringstone is tied around the neck of a sick cow (photograph by S. Bhattacharya)

17. Hand made Red ware, black and red ware Corded and incised ware Thick fabric Ill fired Shape : Bowls and vases, Bowls : shallow, deep, straight and lipped Vase : pot, storage jar, a vessel with tubular spout Cord impression = tortoise shell? Koldihwa : Pottery

18. Hand Made pottery

19. Cord-impressed ware

20. Bowl

21. No proper evidence due to small excavations Evidence : burnt clay impressions Wattle-and-daub impressions Thatched huts, made of bamboo and mud-plastered walls Koldihwa : Residing structures

22. Conjectural view of house

23. Conjectural view of the house

24. Koldihwa : Food habits Exploited flora and fauna Remains of Rice Evidence of domesticated Rice Wild grains: millets Objects : Querns and Mullers A large number of domesticated animal bones A few wild too Numbers: 95 Cattles Sheep/goat Deer Horse Tortoise Wild boar fish

25. Mahagara Location : just apposite Koldiwha , 80 km from Prayagraj Situation : on the bank of Belan Excavated : G.R. Sharma, Allahabad University Year : 1976-79 Culture sequence: Neolithic

26. Mahagara : Tool Assemblages Rounded celts More microliths : blades, lunates, scrapers, borers, tringles, trapeze Bone arrowheads Household objects : querns, mullers, hammers, sling-balls. Ring stones Terracotta bead and perforated pottery discs

27. Neoliths from Mahagara (after Sharma and Mandal 1980)

28. Four types of pottery Cord impressed Rusticated Burnished red Burnished black Pottery mixed with rice and grains Charred conditions Mahagara : Pottery

29. Lived in huts Evidence : 18 huts Plan : circular, oval Size : 6.70 x 6.25 m.; 5.0 x 3.50 m. Wattle-and-daub houses Mud plasters on the walls Floors were not rammed or plastered Mahagara : Residing place

30. Mahagara : Food habit Too many animal bones 151 animal bones Cattles Sheep/goat Deer Antelope Horse Tortoise Wild boar Fish Cattle bones were mostly domesticated Followed by Sheep/goat Horse: pony? Antelope: used for antlers

31. Tokwa Location : Mirjhapur , 68 km from the district head. Situated : Confluence of the Belan and Adwa rivers Discovered in: Colonial period Re-explore : 1999 Excavations : 2000, 2002 Director : Mishra Culture sequence: Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Iron Age

32. Hand made Cord impressed Rusticated Burnished red Burnished black Tokwa : Pottery

33. Tokwa : Material remains Bone Arrowhead Semi-precious stone beads Terracotta beads Querns Mullers Microliths

34. Tokwa : Food habits Plant exploitation Rice Barley Til Moong Fruits beans Consumption of Animal Bones Wild and domesticated Numbers: 235 Domesticated: Cattle Sheep/goat Wild: Gaur Nilgai Back-buck Birds Fish Single molluscan species

35. 14C radiocarbon dates of charcoal samples from Tokwa Calibrated date (BCE) 1685–1464 5976–5561 1860–1622

36. Agiabir The multi-culture site of Agiabir located on the left bank of river Ganga I n district Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh The site was first excavated for three field seasons between 1999 and 2001 Again in 2005-07 for two field seasons In 2016 (Neolithic Period) deposit (50 cm) has been was found from Trench 14, Trench 16 and Trench 21. Director: Dr. A.K. Singh Agency: BHU

37. Animal Remains Bos indicus Ovis aries Canis familiaris Canis aureus Axis axis Cervus unicolor Muntiacus muntjak Sus scrofa Sperata seenghala Lamellidens sp.

38. Bos indicus Ovis aries Sperata seenghala Lamellidens sp. Sperata seenghala Animals Reported from Agiabir

39. Axis axis Cervus unicolor Muntiacus muntjak Sus scrofa Animals Reported from Agiabir

40. Canis familiaris Canis aureus Animals Reported from Agiabir

41. Pachoh Location : in Allahabad district Situated : on the right bank of Belan Excavator : G.R. Sharma, University of Allahabad Year : 1975-76 Site : Disturbed nature

42. Pottery Brunt clay lumps Ring stones Rounded celts Microliths : retouched blades, backed blades, scrapers, points Pachoh : Excavations Results

43. After Pokhriya 2008

44. Oryza sativa L. (cultivated rice) Reported: Koldihwa , Mahagra , Tokwa , Senuwar

45. Hordeum vulgare L. emend. Bowden (hulled barley) Reported: Mahagra and Tokwa , Senuwar

46. Triticum sphaerococcum Perc. (dwarf wheat) Reported: Senuwar , Tokwa

47. Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell . (bread wheat) Reported: Senuwar

48. Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn . (ragi millet) Reported: Senuwar

49. Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (jowar millet) Reported: Senuwar

50. Lens culinaris Medik . (lentil) Reported: Mahagra , Tokwa and Senuwar

51. Pisum arvense (L.) Poir (field pea) Reported: Tokwa and Senuwar

52. Lathyrus sativus L. (grass pea) Reported: Mahagra and Senuwar

53. Cicer arietinum L. (chick pea) Reported: Mahagra , Senuwar

54. Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdcourt (horse gram) Reported: Senuwar

55. Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek (green gram) Reported: Mahagra , Tokwa Moong

56. udad Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper (black gram) Reported: Mahagra

57. Cajanus cajan L. (pigeon pea) Reported: Mahagra

58. Linum usitatissimum L. (linseed) Reported: Tokwa

59. Brassica juncea L. Czern . & Coss (field brassica) Reported: Tokwa

60. Conclusion Area: Belan and Vindhya area was chosen for settlement Criteria: water, vegetation, stones etc. Pottery: Hand-made show improvement Tools: stones, bones, wood? House: Small huts (circular, oval) Diet: Plant and Animals Plant: Rice, barley, til Domesticated Animals: cattle, sheep/goat Wild Animals: deer, antelope, nilgai

61. Any Questions?