IOW001ICAlJUIIVEY . :: .. :::: ,.: ~ Memoirs Volume 21 (No. 3) ANIMAL REMAINS FROM BRAHMAGIRI ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE (KARNATAKA) AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE ANCIENT CIVILIZATION T., K. PAL and B. T ALUKDER Zoological Survey oj India, M-Block, New A Lipore, Kolkata-700 053, India e-mail: [email protected] INTRODUCTION During 1940s notable advances in the Neolithic archaeology was made through the first systematic The archaeology of India south of the Vindhyas, excavation at Brahmagiri, Maski and Sanganakallu. the Deccan or peninsular India documented 'The (irst account of excavation at Brahmagiri by distinctive elements and that has revealed a M.H. Krishna came out in 1943 and the report of chronology of cultures characteristically different Wheeler's excavation was published in 1947. from the prehistoric civilizations in other parts of the Indian subcontinent. Wheeler in 1940s, after LOCATION recovery of interesting objects of hitherto unknown 0 I1lltural phase in Arikamedu near Pondicherry, The ancient cultural site at B rah magi ri (12 22" 0 eonceptualized a coordinated plan for 'opening up' Nand 75 28' E) is situated at about 30 miles the archaeology of South India and initiated the (48.28 km) south of Bellary in the Molakalmalu Taluk of Chitaldurg District of Kamataka State venture with the excavations at Brahmagiri and (see Text-Fig. 1). Brahmagiri is a granitic outcrop, Chandravalli in Kamataka. This regio!' has become rising about 600 ft. (182.88 m.) above the plain. the focus of the Neolithic archaeology in the post­ At the foot of the granite outcrop in the vicinity of Wheeler era and the 'Southern Neolithic' was Asoka's Minor Rock Edict No.1 had a township considered to be a distinctive regional assemblage of Isila, mentioned in the edict. M.H. Krishna in in India (Krishnaswami, 1959, 1960; Allchin & 1940s carried out trial excavations not only in this Allchin, 1968; Thapar, t 974, t 978; SankaIia, 1977; township but also in the large number of Megalithic Settar and Korisettar, 2002). A characteristically cists surrounding the old township in the plain. The distinctive aspect of this culture becomes the northern slope of Brahmagiri, covered largely by 'ashmound' sites which consist of large heaped a tumbled mass of granite boulders bore enough accumulations of ash and vitrified material (Zeuner, signs of ancient occupation comprising potsherds, 1959; Allchin, t 961, t 963a; Mujumder & Rajguru, fragmentary wall, remains of small terraced 1966; Paddayya, 1973, 1991-92). These sites to platforms and dry stone walling. A 200 yards some extent overlap in time with the 'Chalcolithic (182.88 m.) wide long strip with a mass of cultures' of the northern Deccan (Maharastra). occupation earth and sherds was noticed in the 2 MEMOIRS VOLUME 21 NO.3 BEHKANiAlU • MALLUR• + ·s. KOOE e 6AUOUR ,.' eWANDAlU i ~6UNT1 .' eBUDNI KALLUR 0 [JRAICHUR. O,lLAMRAYAN ~f(UM)1 GUOOA f OWATGAl M YS 0 R E PlCl.ltAl• ~UOEJ(Attu RODALKUNDA 0 P R A DES H ''', OPATTlkONDA SAHAYASPurt- \ __APUR I(UPGAl", 6A0IG~ ~A IS~NAKAL "\ K~lA.. e ., ; o GUNT AKAl KUOATN .... DBEllARY i ~ j ___--.--------t HAl.AJ(UNDI i DISTRmUTION OF SITES ,... " ~; o MODERN TOWNS i : .... _.-.-. ~ • ASH MOUNDS .-.-~ <1' .. 1 '" o PRl«:FAl NEOUTHIC SETTlEMENfS j ® SETTlEMENTS WITH ASH MOUNDS i + ASH ~CLE GRAVES 010 2030 405060 BRAHMAGR 0 i ~ SCAlE OF Kl.0METRES Fig. 1. Distribution of different Neolithic sites and ashmounds in Karnataka (Mysore) and adjacent areas (after ~ettar and Korisettar, 2002). • Sto n e A ge 1 A II Sto n e A ge 1 B o Megalithic 'OAndhra Fig. 2. Relative availability of animal remai~s (AAR) (inner circle) and number of animal species (NAS) (outer circle) in the ,Stone Axe 1 A, Stone Axe I B, Megalitltic. and Andhra cultures of Brahmagiri. PAL & 'TALUKDER : Animal Remains from Brahmagiri Archaeological Site (Kamataka) 3 place. Apart from this structure ,cist tombs ,and in this area. Many of thes,e were removed for Meg,alithic remainswefe found Ito a depth of about ,agricultural practices by the modem people but 500 yards (457.20 m.) for about a mile (1.60 km) quite a few sUfviv,ed tin Krishna's excavation. ,Fig. 3. View of Brahmagiri Archaeo,logica. si ' te ~ FOl1egfound right hand comer : Cuttings Dr, 21 ~ 23 (After Wheder, 1959), HISTORY OF EXCAVATION AND the most coherent surviving M,egaHthic 'monument ,sU,CCESSION OF HUMAN CULTURES of Isila township. This trial pits were sunk ,at the In 1947 the Archaeolo,gical Survey of India western foot but the most productiv'e area w,as (ASI) in coHaboration with the Archaeolgical situated towards north-east, in sites, Br. 21, Br. 22 Departm,eQJ Qf Mysore state (earlier name of and Br. 21, where three main cultures viz., (~) . .. .... Karnataka) c,arried out more scientific at Brahmagiri stone Axe, . (ii) Megalithic and (iii) Brahmagiri su~sequent to the primary ex<cav.ation Andhra cultures were found in distinct succession. by the Archaeological Depertment of Mysore In the sit,e Br. 17, only Stone Axe phase w,as state. The main objective of the excav,ationwas observ'ed. To the east of these sites at least ten to find out the correlation -of a typical M,egalithic Megalithic structures were explored. The pits were ,culture with the cultures <of an adjacent urban site dug mostly in the form of single or conjoined 20 with a definable chronological datum-line. There ft. squares (1.85 sq. m.) or 400 sq. ft. (37.l6 sq.m.) was a brick ,chaitya on the hin side and that was area . 4 MEMOIRS VOLUME 2) NO.3 The sequence of cultures revealed by these pits, equipments. Polished stone axes and microliths, from bottom to top, was as .follows : recovered occasionally at this level, were probably I. The Brahmagiri Stone Axe culture-A the overlaps of the earlier culture. The age was crude chalcolithic culture extending to a height of considered to be after c.200 B.C. to the middle of about 9 ft. (2.74 m.) from the natural surface. It the First century A.D., overlapping the Andhra was subdivided into IA (early) and IB (late). culture. II. The Megalithic culture-An Iron Age III. The Andhra Culture-This culture was culture identical with that of the local Megalithic characterized by a far more sophisticated ceramics tombs and pit circles, extending to a further height normally turned on fast wheels. Its most of 3-4 ft. (0.91-1.2] m.). characteristic pottery was a range of types, III. The Andhra culture-The cu lture that occasionally salt-glazed with rectilinear decoration extended from the surface, a further height of 2.5 in white pigment under a wash of russet-coloured to 3.5 ft. (0.76-1.06 m.). ochre. The age was considered to be about the middle of the First century A.D. to Third century The three cultures, I-III, were interlocked by A.D. marked overlaps. ANIMAL REMAINS RECOVERED AGE OF THE CULTURES AND THEIR FROM BRAHMAGIRI CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE Wheeler (1947) gave chronology and Many animal remains along with the objects of characteristics of the past occupation of the town­ archaeological importance were recovered from site at Brahmagiri as follows : the excavations of 1947 by the ASI and the I. The Brahmagiri Stone Axe Culture­ Archaeology Department of Mysore State. The This culture was characterized by the presence animal remains were sent to the Zoological Survey of polished pointed-butt axes of Trap rock. These of India (ZSI) for examination. Earlier, Nath (1963) axes were associated with numerous crude worked out skeletal parts of some animals obtained microlithis of jasper, flint, agate, common opal, rock during the excavations. Systematic inventories of crystal etc. No iron was recovered in association the available animal remains preserved in the ZSI with this culture. The age of the culture was are documented here and their relevance in the considered to be early First millennium B.C. to past societies is discussed in the present paper. the beginning of the Second century B.C., The zoological-taxonomical analysis of the continuing as a dwindling subculture through most animal remains is presented in the Table 1. of the succeeding Megalithic phase. II. The Megalithic Culture-This culture SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF ANIMAL was considered to be intrusive and first introduced REMAINS iron-working in the human folk of the locality. These were represented with tools and weapons. The animal remains of Brahmagiri Iron sickles, knives, swords, spears, arrow-heads archaeological site are worked out and the result and wedges were recovered amongst the cultural of it is presented in Table 1. PAL & TALUKDER : Animal Remains from Brahmagiri Archaeological Site (Karnataka) 5 Table 1. Systematic analysis of animal remains recovered from Brahmagiri archaeological site. Culture: Early Stone Axe (1 A) Name of No. of Identity of Material Site (Dr.) I Condition of Species Material Locus (L)I Material Stratum (S) Equus sp. I 51h cervical vertebra without transverse Br. 22;.L-I-N; process S-15 Sub adult Lepus 1 Proximal fragment of right tibia " Broken lligricollis I Distal fragment of right humerus with medial " " Cuvier and lateral condyles 1 Distal fragment of right tibia " " Bos illdiclts 1 Proximal fragment of right metatarsus with Br. 21; L-? " Linn. fused scaphoid and cuboid of proximal tarsal S-19 and fused 2nd and 3rd cuniform I Proximal fragment of right 3rd and 4th metatarsal " " 1 Distal fragment of 3rd and 4th metacarpal " " I Neural arch of thoracic vertebra without spine " " 1 Right upper 3rd premolar " " I Body of thoracic vertebra " " 5 Fragments of ribs " .. ., 1 Body of thoracic vertebra with a portion of " transverse process 1 Fragment of shaft of ulna with part of radius " " I Proximal fragment of right ulna with olecranon Br.