CHAPTER VI CHALCOLITHIC PERIOD ^ ' I MIDDLE GANGA VALLEY In the Middle Ganga Valley a total of 134 Chalcolithic sites have been discovered (Table 82, Fig. 31). Of these, 110 (82.09%) are located in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 24 (17.91%) in Bihar. In U.P. one site each is located in Allahabad, Deoria, Jaunpur, and Sultanpur, eight in Ballia, 13 in Basti, 18 in Ghazipur, 27 in Gorakhpur, 16 in Pratapgarh and 24 in Varanasi districts. The location of sites in Bihar is as follows : one each in Bhojpur and Vaisali, two each in Patna and Saran, four in Bhagalpur, five in Gaya and nine in Rohtas districts. Of these, 89 (66.42%) sites are located in the Ganga plain north and 45 (33.58%) in the Ganga plain south. In the Ganga plain north 45 sites are located in the Ganga-Ghaghra Doab, 43 in the Saryupar Plain and one in the Mithila Plain. In the Ganga plain south 34 sites are located in the Ganga-Son Divide and remaining 11 in the Anga-Magadh Plain. All sites are located on river banks but precise location is known only for 31— one each on the Gomati, Rapti, Chandraprabha, Karmnasa, Son and Jamunai, two each on the Durgawati and Manorama, four each on the Ganga, Ghaghra, Kudra and Phalgu and five on the Kuwano. Distribution of sites in the region suggests that the nature of Chalcolithic sett 1ement-pattern depended largely upon topographic situation. Sites are found below 90 m contour line and are located on higher Bhangar land which is above the flood level. It is also noticed that sites are always found along the river banks (Akhtar 1972:33-43). The Chalcolithic populations probably 154 selected river banks for their settlements because sufficient supply of water for maintaining life and land for cultivation and grazing animals were available. There is no evidence that Chalcolithic people knew the use of plough. The alluvium inundated by floods during monsoon could be cultivated without the plough, and being fertilized by fresh annual silt deposit it did not need additional manure. Thus, it was the river that onriohod the yielding capacity of soil, and by its seasonal inundation lessened the labour of hoeing and provided regular irrigation for the growing crops. When the flood water receded, farmers could sow seeds on the wet mud of the alluvial flats. River-living creatures like fish, tortoise, carp and snail were important source of subsistence. Since the rivers of the region flow from west to east, Chalcolithic settlements are also oriented in the same direction in a linear fashion. Of the 134 Chalcolithic sites 13 have been excavated. A summary of the finds in them is given below. Sohagaura o o Sohagaura (26 32’ N : 83 32’ E) is a big village located in Banasgaon sub-division of Gorakhpur district (U.P.). The site is situated at the confluence of Ami and Rapti rivers. The ancient settlement occupies about 150 acres in area. The site was excavated first by G.C. Pande in 1961-62 and by V.S. Pathak in 1974-75 (lAB 1961-62:56; 1974-7 5:46-4 7, Chaturvedi 1985:101-108). Excavations revealed a total of 4.40 m cultural deposit divisible into six periods: Period I-Neo 1 i thi c; Period II and H I - 155 Chalcolithic; Period IV-Early NBPW; Period V-Late NBPW and Sunga- Kushana; Period VI-Medieval. The Chalcolithic period, with a deposit of 55 cm, is represented by ceramics, structures, hearths, copper, stone, bone and terracotta objects, and animal remains. Narhan o o Narhan (26 19’ N : 83 24’ E) is located on the left bank of the Ghaghra river, 28 km south-west of Sohagaura in Gorakhpur district of U.P. The ancient settlement comprises two mounds. Of Mound 1 two-third portion has been washed away by the river and the remaining one third is partly occupied by the present V village. Mound 2, known as Chindihar, is located 0.5 km to the north-east of Mound 1. Excavation have been carried out at both mounds by P. Singh, M. Lai and A.K. Singh from 1983 to 1986 (lAR 1984-85:89-90; 1985-86: 81-82; Singh 1989:243-247; Singh ^ al. 1985: 113-188, 1986:117-122). They have brought to light a sequence of cultures divisible into five periods: Period I- Chalcolithic, II-Early NBPW, Ill-Late NBPW, IV-Sunga-Kushana, and V-Gupta, ranging from the middle of second millennium B.C. to 6th century A.D. Chalcolithic period has an average 1 m thick deposit, and is represented by ceramics, structures and hearths, stone, bone and terracotta objects, and plant and faunal remains. 156 K h a ir a d ih o o Khairadih (26 10’ N : 83 51’ E) is a Bmall village located on the right bank of the Ghaghra in Ballia district of U.P. The ancient mound covers an area of 710 m from east to west and 510 m from north to south and rises to a maximum height of about 11 ra from the normal level of the river water. The mound is partly occupied by the villagers and a Vaishnava math, and the remaining part is under cultivation. The site was dug for five seasons (1980-81 to 1983-84 and 1985-86) by K.K. Sinha and B.P. Singh (lAR 1980-81:69-70; 1981-82:67-70; 1982-83:92-93; 1983- 84:86-87; 1985-86:77-78; Singh 1989:28-34). Excavations revealed a sequence of three cultural periods: Period I-Chalcolithic, II- NBPW, and III-Post-NBPW. The Chalcolithic period, dated c.lOOO B.C., is represented by a deposit of 0.80 m to 2.40 lying over the natural soil. The deposit yielded ceramics, structural remains, copper, stone, bone and terracotta objects, and plant and faunal remains. Sr ingaverpura It is located on the left bank of the Ganga about 36 km north­ west of Allahabad city of U.P. The highest point of the mound is 10 m above the natural soil. The site has been excavated by B.B. Lai and K.N. Dikshit from 1977 to 1980 (lAR 1977-78:54,56; 1978- 79:57-59; 1979-80:73-74; 1980-81:67-68; 1881-82:66-67; 1982- 83:91-92; 1983-84:84-85; 1984-85:85-86; Lai and Dikshit 1978- 79:1-7). Excavation revealed seven cultural periods dating from the end of the second millennium B.C. to the medieval times. The 157 earliest culture of the site is Cha1coIithic, marked by two periods. Period I has 30-60 cm thick deposit and is dated to c. 1050-1000 B.C. It is represented by pottery and pieces of burnt earth with reed impression. After Period I there was a short break in occupation. Period II has 1.40 m thick deposit and is divided into two; IIA and IIB. Period II dated to c. 950-700 B.C., yielded pottery, and stone, bone, gold and terracotta objects, and plant remains. Kakoria o o Kakoria (25 3 ’ N : 83 11’ E) is located on the right bank of the Chandraprabha river in Chakia sub-division of Varanasi district of U.P. The habitation area occurs on both banks of the Chandraprabha covers an area of 800 x 600 m. The site has been excavated by G.R. Sharma, V.D. Misra and V.S. Dubey in two seasons, viz., 1962-63 and 1963-64 (lAR 1962-63:39-41; 1963- 64:57-58; Misra 1977:81-84). Excavations revealed megaliths, ceramics, structures, microliths, stone and terracotta objects, copper and gold objects, and plant and faunal remains. The absence of iron and NBPW sherds and presence of crested ridged microliths, copper objects, Chalcolithic black-and-red ware and megalithic tombs suggested that it is a ChaIco1ithic-Mega1ithic culture site and has been dated this phase (Chalcolithic- Megalithic) roughly from the mid of 2nd millennium B.C. to the 7th century B.C. I Chi rand o o Chirand (25 45’ N : 84 50’ E) is located in Saran district of Bihar on the left bank of the Ghaghra near the confluence of the Ganga and Ghaghra rivers. The site was excavated first by B.P. Sinha and V.S. Verraa from 1962 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1971 and then by B.P. Sinha and L.A. Narain from 1971 to 1973 (lAR 1963- 64:6-8; 1964-65:6-7; 1968-69:5-6; 1969-70:3-4; 1970-71:6-7; 1971- 72:6-7; 1972-73:7-8; 1980-81:9). Excavations revealed five cultural periods, viz., Period I: Neolithic; Period II: Cha1 CO 1ithic; Period III: Early NBPW; Period IV: Christian era and Period V: Pre-Mughul. Period II Chalcolithic has 90 cm deposit and is represented by ceramics, structures, hearths, burials, copper objects, polished stone tools, microliths, other stone objects, bone and terracotta objects, and plant and faunal rema ins. Manjhi The site lies on the left bank of the Ghaghra river, 19 km west of Saran district town of Bihar. The ancient settlement is 526 n north to south and 390 m east to west and is 14 m high than from the surrounding ground. Two seasons (1983-84 and 1984-85) of excavation were conducted at the site by T.N. Roy of Banaras Hindu University (lAR 1962-63:67; 1983-84:15-16; 1984-85:12-13; Roy 1987:29-32; 1990:214-216).