IMPORTANT NEOLITHIC SITES ON THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

IMPORTANT NEOLITHIC SITES ON THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT Given below are some of the Neolithic sites in the Indian Subcontinent.

North-western The earliest evidence of the cultivation of wheat and barley has been found in present-day Afghani­stan and Pakistan. Punjab, Kashmir, West-Pakistan, and Afghanistan were the original places of bread-wheat and spelt-wheat cultivation. Excavations at Mehrgarh in Baluchistan have revealed the evidence of cultures ranging from pre-pottery Neolithic to the mature Harappan period. The Neolithi. levels at Mehrgarh have been classified into two phases: (i) the early aceramic without pottery (Period I); and (ii) the later phase (Period ll). The cereals at the site included two varieties of barley and three varieties of wheat. Plum and date seeds have also been found. The beginning of the pre-pottery settlement phase in Mehrgarh has been fixed at about 6000 Be. Period II represents the Chalcolithic phase (5000 BC). It is assumed that the Harappans inherited the knowledge of wheat, barley, and cotton cultivation from their ancestors in Mehrgarh.

Kashmir Burzahom and Gufkral in the Kashmir valley, where village settlements appeared by about 2500 Be, are other important Neolithic sites in Kashmir. The Neolithic culture in the valley is characterised by pit-dwellings with well made floors smeared with red-ochre, and dwellings in the open. The eastern phase in Gufkral is aceramic (pre­pottery), discovered for the first time in India. According to C-14 dates, the Neolithic culture in th Kashmir valley existed between 2500 and 1500 BC.

Uttar Pradesh The important excavated sites of th Belan valley (Belan river is tributary of Tons which jom the Ganga near Allahabad) include Chopani-Mand< Koldihawa and Mahagara. Excavations at these sites incU cate transition from the food-gathering stage to the food producIng stage. At Chopani-Mando, a three,.phase cultur, sequence-epi-Palaeolithic, late-MesolithA.c and proto Neolithic, has ~ discovered. The excavations at Koldihaw. have also revealed a three-fold cultural sequence: Neolithi Chalcolithic and Iron Age. The combined evidence fron Chopani and Koldihawa indicates sedentary life, and do mestication of rice and of cattle and sheep / goat. It has been suggested (though the idea has not beel accepted by..all) that Belan valley emerged as the earlies rice-farming community in India (6000 BC).

Bihar The Gangetic valley of Bihar was occupied bJ sedentary village settlements much later-2000-1600 Be Chirand (Saran district), Chechar, Senuwar (Rohtas district) Taradih, etc are the important Neolithic sites. They thrO\\ significant light on the life pattern of the Neolithic peop" of the region. Chirand and Senuwar are known for their remarkable bone tools. The grains cultivated at Chiranc were wheat, barley, rice and lentil.
South India The Neolithic settlements in South Indi, are found on the hilly and dry Deccan plateau. Importanl excavated sites include Sangankallu, Nagarjunakonda, Maski. Brahmagiri, Tekkalakota, Piklihal and Hallur.

Ragi (millet) was one of the earliest crops cultivated by the South Indian Neolithic farmers. It is believed thai the domesticated ragi came from East Africa. Other crop~ cultivated in the region included wheat, horsegram and green gram (moong). Domesticated animals like cattle, sheep and goat, buffalo, ass, and fowl are also reported from same sites.

Abundance of cattle and other kinds of food articles suggest that the economy of South Indian Neolithic people was agriculture-cum-pastoral. According to C-14 dates, the Neolithic culture of South India has been placed between 2600 and 1000 BC.