Unveiling the Painted Grey ware culture.pptx

Explore the distinctive painted grey ware culture of ancient India, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE.

1. Painted Grey ware culture Special reference to Ganga valley

2. The Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture flourished in the Ganga Valley of ancient India, spanning the late Vedic period. This sophisticated ceramic tradition is renowned for its distinctive grey pottery adorned with geometric and naturalistic designs, offering insights into the vibrant artistic expression of this era.

3. Geographic Distribution of Painted Grey Ware Sites Northern India PGW sites are concentrated in the Ganga-Yamuna doab, with notable examples found in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Central India PGW pottery has also been uncovered in parts of Madhya Pradesh, reflecting the cultural diffusion across the region. Eastern India The PGW tradition extended eastward, with sites identified in West Bengal and Jharkhand, along the Ganga and its

4. Chronology and Periodization of Painted Grey Ware Early PGW Dated to around the 6th-5th centuries BCE, the early phase is characterized by simple geometric designs. Mature PGW The 4th-3rd centuries BCE saw the development of more sophisticated and naturalistic motifs on PGW pottery. Late PGW Towards the end of the 1st millennium BCE, PGW pottery exhibits a decline in artistic quality and standardization.

5. PGW sites in Upper ganga valley Ahichchhatra First site in 1940s Full significance after Hastinapur excavation by BB Lal in 1954-55 Northwest earlier than those in Ganga valley. PGW followed by NBPW. Important sites- Hastinapur, Ahichchhatra , Alamgirpur , Bhagwanpura , Jakhera , Kampil , Shravasti , kaushambi .

6. Ahichchhatra : Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. • First reported site which yielded Painted Grey Ware in 1940-44 • The lowest level here has yielded the sherds of Painted Grey Ware. • This period was then dated to pre 300 BCE. • Grey Ware is accompanied by plain red ware of coarse fabric.

7. Atranjikhera • Atranjikhera is situated on the right bank of Kali river in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh • Excavated by R.C. Gaur. • Period-II belongs to PGW whose deposit is upto 2.20 m. • Iron objects: shaft, axes, clamps, hooks, borers, chisels, knives, needles, bangles and a pair of domestic tongs were found in this period. • Copper: ornaments and fish-hook etc. • Terracotta beads, toys, discs, along with hand made human figurines were found. • Houses were made of mud and reed, post holes indicates the presence of huts, whose floors were made of yellowish rammed earth.

8. Hastinapur • About 96 km north-east of Delhi in Meerut district • Excavated by B.B. Lal (1955). • Here five occupational deposits were excavated with a definite gap between each. • The Common shapes are bowls and dishes, painted with black, chocolate and reddish brown pigment. • Mud wall or mud brick houses were made. • Use of copper and iron was attested by the presence of various objects. • Chert and jasper was also used for making beads. • Terracotta objects in the form of animal figurines, discs, stamps, pendent, beads. • Glass objects mainly beads; Bone objects like styli, beads, points etc. were main antiquities of this period

9. Jakhera • This site is located in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh • This site is spread over an area of about 25 hectare and was excavated by MDN Sahi of Aligarh Muslim University in 1988-89. • Period-IIIB was labelled as mature PGW and has deposits varying from 50 cm to 2 m. • This period was characterised by the continuation of BRW, BSW and red ware along with PGW and Grey ware. • Normal PGW paintings are found on the sherd and, • Some sherds were found decorated with stamped design

10. The middle and lower ganga valley Middle ganga valley- mid 2 nd millennium BCE. Ganweria = Iron with BSW. Koldihwa = iron levels follow the chalcolithic levels ; arrowheads, axes. Panchoh = iron nodules with ill fired handmade corded and plain red wares. Narhan = period I – iron (BRW).

11. In bihar and bengal BRW contexts at chirand , sonpur , bharatpur . Many sites show continuity from chalcolithic BRW to early iron BRW phase. Pandu rajar dhibi – iron artefacts at chalcolithic level. Bahiri and mangalkot – Period 1 – Bahiri , evidence of rammed floors of wattle-and –daub houses Mangalkot – wattle-daub-houses with mud floors plastered with cow dung. Human terracotta figurines, beads, fishhooks. Iron objects- spearhead and knife.

12. conclusion • The concentration of sites in Haryana • The average size of the Settlement: 3.54 Ha • PGW sites generally represents the rural culture. • Double crop pattern: wheat + rice and animal rearing • Houses: Mud huts, mud walls and dwelling pits (wattle-and-daub ) • They were the first iron using people in north India • The artifacts this culture were made of locally available material. • semiprecious stones suggests inter-connections. • horse bones and terracotta figures suggest that horse was quite in use. • Painted Grey Ware people are often associated with the Aryans • Considered under the Later Vedic Period

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