Micro Network of Early Historic Sites Near Wai, Satara District, Maharashtra and Its Importance in the Early Historic Period of Deccan Shantanu Vaidya1 and Jayendra Joglekar1 1. Department of A.I.H.C. and Archaeology, Deccan College Post Graduate Research Institute, Pune-411006, Maharashtra, India (Email:
[email protected],
[email protected]) Received: 28 July 2016; Accepted: 07 September 2016; Revised: 03 October 2016 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 4 (2016): 401-416 Abstract: On the background of recent discovery of fortified Early Historic site at Pandhrewadi (Bavdhan) by the authors, an intensive attempt was made, to look into the Early Historic sites in the area near Wai town of Satara District of Maharashtra. Wai, being an important town in the present days, was a place known long back according to the textual references. It is the first place where Krishna River descends on the plains from the hilly tract of Mahabaleshwar. Remains of Early Historic pottery have also been noticed earlier at Wai, but the exact whereabouts are not specified. Lohari and Bavdhan rock-cut caves of early historic period were reported since 19th century near Wai, but habitation sites were not traced. Wai, being on the eastern side of Sahyadris, has a strategic location as it could very well have been on a trade route connecting the coast (Konkan) with the western Maharashtra (Desh). Hence, to verify our hypothesis that there must be some more Early Historic sites in the vicinity of Pandhrewadi (Bavdhan), explorations were carried out. Google Earth images and Toposheets were used before the survey was conducted actually in the field.