Kashmir Neolthic.pptx

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1. Kashmir Neolthic Dr. Virag Sontakke Assistant Professor A.I.H.C. & Archaeology Banaras Hindu University

2. Introduction The Neolithic settlements of North India Important sites of the Kashmir Kanishpur (1998-99), Burzahom (1960-71) and Other Sites: Begagund , Gofkral , Hariparigom , Olchibag , Pampur , Panzgom , Sombur Waztal , and Brah , etc. Revealed habitations of regular nature.

3. Geophysical Features The geology of Kashmir is part of the Himalayan formations It is similar to the areas to its west and east. Broadly based on physiographical features, as per Wadia, the state may be divided into various sub-regions like the; Outer Ranges or the Sub-Himalaya or Siwalik Ranges, The Middle Ranges or Lesser or Middle Himalayas - Panjal and Dhauladhar Ranges, Inner Himalayas, Valleys, Lakes and Glaciers.

4. Burzahom Burzahom is situated 11 km northeast of the capital city of Srinagar. On a high terrace, which is part of the floodplain of the Jhelum River and has karewa formation. Elevation 1800 meter from MSL It is regarded as the northernmost excavated Neolithic site in the country. The entire Kashmir Valley is a cup-shaped flat surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountain range with tall birch trees The word ‘ Burzahom ’ literally means ‘birch’ a tree species generally grow in the Himalayas.

5. Excavation and stratigraphy The site was excavated for ten years from 1960 to 1971 Excavator: T.N. Khazanchi of ASI. Four periods of continuous occupation, Period I: Pre-Pottery Neolithic (devoid of any pottery) Period II: Pottery Neolithic, Period III: Megalithic age Period IV: Early Historic

6. Period I Remains at the lower levels People living inside the dwelling pit They cut the natural soil and make a pit Pit was narrow at mouth and broad at the base Shape: Circular or oval Dug in natural deposit/soil ( Karewa soil formation) T he cuts-marks suggested that they dug out with long stone celts P ost holes (Wooden) on the ground level suggesting a birch cover as a protection

7. Period I: Dwelling pits A few pits had steps and ladder Ash and charcoal found at the base Stone hearths have also been found at ground levels, N ear the mouth of pits, and at the base showing that habitation activities.  Particularly characterized by dwelling pits, the largest measuring 2.74 m at the top (9ft) 4.75 m at the base and (15.6 ft) 3.95 m. at a depth (13 ft) Some pits were shallower, with depth of about 91 cm (as opposed to 3.95 meters depth) and were possibly either storage pits or those used as dwellings during warmer period.

8. Period I B ones and stone tools like Bone tools : harpoons, needles with or without eyes, awls used probably for stitching skins, spear-points, arrow-heads and daggers Stone : axes, chisels, adzes, pounders, mace-heads, points and picks Apart from stone, antlers were also used for tool-production.  Period is marked by absence of any burial system as No remains of cultivation.

9. Bone Tools

10. Stone Tools

11. Neolithic Period II Use of pottery No use of dwelling pits Huts constructed over ground Evidence of Cultivation Development in tool technique and production Overall advance stage

12. Period II: Houses No use of pit for swellings Use of mud/ mud brick structures

13. Period II: Pottery Black ware, Red ware Dish with Stand Globular pot Perforated jars Funnel shaped vase

14. Period II: Tools Stone and Bone Show development in finishing Rectangular harvester Bone point, awl

15. Antiquities Stone stone axe, chisel, adze, hoe, point, wedge, celt, mace head, knife, pestle, quern, harvester, etc.; Bone needle, harpoon, point, arrow, spear, etc. The presence of bone harpoons clearly indicate the exploitation of fish from the lakes located nearby

16. Period II: Other Antiquities Copper Arrowhead Redware pot with 950 beads (Agate, carnelian etc.) A stone slab with a hunting scene T he pot depicts horned motifs, which suggests extra territorial links with sites like Kot-Diji , in Sindh, dated 2700 BCE.

17. Period II: Burials Burzahom is also known for the evidence of disposal of dead. Humans buried in oval pits Pits were mostly dug into the house floors or in the compounds I nner side of the pits plastered with lime. The pits of varying diameters ranging from 1 m to 2 m are generally narrower towards the top. The bodies were buried with pots, tools and other objects of day-to-day life, This whole indicating the belief in life after death. At times animal were buried with the dead as pets, perhaps as part of ritual. The Palaeobotanical remains indicate that wheat, barley and lentil were among the staple food along with meat and fish. The burial practices and type of tools recovered from the site were inferred as having a close resemblance to those found in the North Chinese Neolithic culture

18. Burials Sr. N0. Skeleton Number Azimuth/ Orientation POSITION DEPTH SEX GRAVE GOODS 1 SKL. 1 WE Crouched 5’-7’11” Earthen goblets 2 SKL 2 WE Foetal Child 3 SKL 3 NW-SE Crouched 5’10’’ 5’6’’ Skull of a dog 4 SKL 4 EW 5’10’’ 5’6’’ Red ochre 5 SKL 5 SE-NW 6’ 3’9’’ 7’4’’ Red ochre, earthen pot, small barrel shaped paste bead 6 SKL 6 NS 6’ 3’9’’ 7’4’’ Male Animal bones 7 SKL 7 NE-SW Crouched 6’ 3’9’’ 7’4’’ Female Red ochre, animal bones, antler, horn pieces, soap stone circular disc 8 SKL 8 NE 10’4’’ 10’7’ CARNELIAN BEADS 9 SKL 9 10’4’’ 10’7’ 10 SKL 10 NW-SE 10’4’’ 10’7’ Circular stone bowl

19. Burials B urials found mostly within the settlement. The burials showed both primary and secondary in nature The ochre on the bones is a special feature here in human burials. Four of the human skeletons found were buried in a crouching position. Sometimes, no grave furniture was noticed. Animals were buried along humans . D og, wolf and ibex were mostly buried. In one grave skeletal remains of five wild dogs and deer horn found. It appears that pet animals like dogs, were sacrificed and buried along with the human body.

20. Trepanned Skull I t belonged to a woman, aged at 26-30 years, Its cranial capacity was of 1353 cc. Woomen was suffering from some mysterious ailment/epilepsy/insanity, P resumably due to a brain tumour apparent from the left-sided cranial hypertrophy. S ick woman needed prolonged life- saving spiritual and ultimately surgical intervention The skull presents six small but completed holes and 5 tiny shallow depressions as well. Roy Chowdhury (1973): Trepanations were done upon a living person for a medical purpose. Basu & Pal (1980): It was a posthumous intervention for the sole purpose of taking out bone roundels to be worn as amulets.

21. A nkhyan & Weber (2001) and Sankhyan (2008): They assumed it a surgical intervention and classifying the 11 attempts made in three major stages at different times. He re-classified the 11 perforations into : depressions (1-5) and trepanned holes (6-11. Holes are almost of the same size and outline and were made very neatly and carefully by the same instrument . H oles (10 & 11), are bigger in size and uneven in shape, were most likely a post-mortem study It is therefore possible that the antler piece or animal bones could have been used as drills of various diameters for trepanation. She had to bear the torture of so many strokes on her vault for trepanations, obviously for treatment and not for bone roundels as argued by Basu & Pal (1980). But, every likely she could not survive the 9 th operation Trepanned Skull

22. Period II: Burials Ovel pits dug inside the house floors Floors were plastered with lime Body were placed with red-ochre Skeleton were found in crouched position Five wild dog and antlers horn found in single grave A nthropological study: People has a long-head T all and homogeneous population, More related to the mature Harappan in the Cemetery R37 than to other contemporary Neolithic populations elsewhere in India. P ossibly closer to the today’s Punjabi people in Northwest India.

23. Neolithic Art A n engraved stone slab found, fixed in a rectangular structure forming some sort of a tank. Datable to period II The engraved face was placed upside down, making it non-functional in the place in which it has been found. The stone slab (base width 70 cm.) Towards the top it is partially damaged, Its a hunting scene showing an deer being pierced from behind with a long spear by a hunter and an arrow being discharged by another hunter from the front . The topmost portion shows two suns and a dog . Showing two suns may probably have some symbolic value and perhaps may indicate hunting in daylight. If the presumption is correct then one sun may be depicting the rising sun and another the setting sun. Another stone slab showing an incomplete pattern has also been found from the same structure.

24. Observation C14 dates: 2357 BC-2700 BCE (Period I) Gradual development Residence: Dwelling pit Stone and bone tools Medical advancement Connection with Harappans Birch tree wood was found in the excavations. The interaction of local and foreign influences S ome graffiti marks on pottery and others.

25. Chronology S ome of the select list of radiocarbon dates from the Neolithic levels of Burzahom Dates based on half-life value of 5730 years. TF-15 1530 + 110 B.C. TF-129 1825 + 110 B.C. TF-13 1850 + 125 B.C. TF-14 2025 + 350 B.C. TF-127 2100 + 115 B.C. TF-123 2225 + 115 B.C. TF-128 2375 + 120 B.C.

26. Gufkral

27. Gufkral The site is situated 41 km of Srinagar. It is located on an upper karewa The mound measures 400 m long north-south and 75 m wide east-west. Gufkral ( Literally guf -cave, kral -potter ) S ite inhabited by potters who utilize the caves cut into the karewa The site was excavated by the Prehistory Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1981.

28. Cultural Sequence The site was explored in 1962-1963 by Archaeological Survey of India. A maximum of 3.10 m of habitation deposit was encountered Period I: Neolithic Period IA : Aceramic Neolithic Period IB : Early Neolithic Period IC : Late Neolithic Period II : Megalithic Period III : Historical

29. Period I A: Aceramic Neolithic D eposit of 35 cm to 1.10 m L arge and small dwelling pits cut into the top of natural soil/deposits C ircular or oval in plan N arrow mouths and wide bottoms V aried in diameter from 3.80 m to 1.50 m at the top These pits were surrounded by storage pits and hearths. A number of postholes found around the pits and the hearths. T he bases of the superstructures were plaster with mud to give them strength and to prevent entry of water and snow from the sides Dwelling pits were plastered with red ochre paste Animals hunted were roasted by hanging them over the fire in the hearth supported by the poles. R oasting of food (both flesh and grains) was done only outside as no hearths or fireplaces were found inside the dwelling pits. P eople used to live outside during warm seasons and occupied dwelling pits in winter

30. Period I A: Tools P olished stone celts, both finished and unfinished, S tone points, with one and both ends sharp, made of Himalayan Trap; also, O ne broken unfinished ring stone P ounders and querns (red Ochre paste) Bone Tools (27): Polished Made of Long bones, horns and splinters of cattle, sheep, goat, ibex etc. Shape: Arrowhead, points, awls, piercers, scrapers

31. Ornaments Cylindrical bone bead (highly polished Two steatite beads

32. Animal remains Wild Red deer Wolf Ibex Bear Domesticated Sheep Goat Cattle

33. Agricultural Remains Barley Wheat Lentil (Masoor) Weedy plants

34. Period IB: Early Neolithic Without any gap 40 cm thick deposit First-time appearance of pottery Handmade, dull red and grey ware, coarse red ware Shape: bowls, basins, dish-on-stand, big jars Decoration: pinched design on the neck, reed impressions

35. Settlement pattern No dwelling pits Wall made houses Evidence of mud and rubble walls Lime floors (5-7 cm ) thick

36. Tools Bone and stone tools Stone points Stone ring-stones Bone points Bone piercers Bone scrapers Bone spatula

37. Food habits of period 1B: Early Neolithic Animal remains More bones of domesticated animals Sheep, Goat Cattle Dog bones (+) Wolf bones (-) Deer Ibex Bear Agricultural remains Barley Wheat Lentil (Masoor) Common Pea

38. Period IC: Mature Neolithic 80 cm deposit Pottery: Grey ware, Burnished grey ware, black burnished ware, red gritty ware Shapes: Shapes of period IB continues Long neck jars Cord decoration on pottery Graffiti was also found

39. Tools of Period IC: Mature Neolithic Fewer objects One unfinished stone celts Stone points Querns, Pounders and balls Double-holed-harvesters 41 bone tools: Arrowhead, Awls, bone points (mostly polished)

40. Other items Stone engraver (to remove extra soil on the pots) Terracotta Bangles Copper hairpin (upper level indicating foreign contact) Spindle whorls (for woolen garments)

41. Food Habits Grains Barley Wheat Lentil (Masoor) Common Pea Animal bones Sheep Goats Cattle Dogs Pig Fish

42. Gufkral : Observations Period IA Early beginning of the site before pottery (Aceramic period) Initially started living in dwelling pits due to the cold environment Used stone tools along with bone tools Initially Hunted wild animals and domesticated cattle and sheep Grown wheat and barley Period IB Soon folks moved to the compact walled huts Used pottery Well-polished bone tools Period IC Mature stage More pottery Stable houses Well-polished bone tools Full-fledged agriculture Evidence of ornaments, toys and

43. Conclusion Sites show the history of Kashmir, From subterranean dwelling pits, the evidence in the site shows the emergence of mud-structures The transition from underground pits pattern to compact houses The transition from Aceramic to ceramic Handmade to wheel made pottery Stone and bone tools: hunting and farming Cultural contacts with Central Asia Association with Gangetic Plain and adjacent area Burzahom demonstrated the transformation of human settlements (from pit dwellings to dwellings of mud walls above the ground). Burzahom demonstrates the links with the contemporary Harappan settlements in the form of ceramics and elaborate carnelian beads. Gufkral is also shown the gradual development.