Prehistory and Protohistory in India and Pakistan c6.s3: Uttar Pradesh
Prehistory and Protohistory in India and Pakistan c6.s3
- Language
- English
Contents
- c6.s3.t1 Singrauli Basin — 4 parts
- c6.s3.t2 Yamuna Valley — 4 parts
Uttar Pradesh
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Southwards are the large flat alluvial plains, made by the Ganga and its tributaries by washing the Himalayas. These, however, abut on the older rock formation of the peninsular mass viz. the Kaimur Hills, a little south of Banaras and now forming the Mirzapur District. Here COCKBURN⁴¹ had discovered palaeolithic tools from the Singrauli basin in the last century (1888). DE TERRA⁴² after his study of the Himalayan cycle in 1935 had suggested that investigations might be carried out in this region, because the two great geological formations—the Himalayas and the Peninsular—met there and he expected that this feature might reveal contact between the Sohan and the Hand-axe cultures and also throw light on the past climate and tectonic movements. Accordingly it was examined for a short while by ZEUNER and KRISHNASWAMI in 1949 and the results of the latter's study are published.⁴³
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⁴¹ JRAI, XVII (1888), pp. 57-65.
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⁴² DE TERRA and PATERSON, op. cit., p. 318.
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⁴³ KRISHNASWAMI, V. D. and SOUNDARARAJAN, K. V., "The Lithic Tool-Industries of the Singrauli Basin, District Mirzapur," A.I., No. 7, (1951), pp. 40-65. A few further discoveries are reported in I.A.R. 1959-60., p. 48.
Singrauli Basin
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The Rihand, the Bichi Nala and other rivers of the Singrauli basin, like those of the Peninsular India, exhibit a two-fold cycle of aggradation consisting of (i) lower gravel (mostly pebbles) and silt, followed by another cycle of smaller and finer gravel and silt, the first resting on the Talchir beds of green laminated shales and soft sandstones. (*See Fig. 12*)
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It is the lower gravels which yield tools made of coarse-grained grey and brown quartzite. These comprise primarily (i) crude hand-axes on pebble as well as fine ovate type hand-axes on flakes, (ii) cleavers, (iii) cores, (iv) choppers and chopping tools, (v) Levallois and proto-Levallois flakes. Evidently it is a mixed industry and since all the tools come from one and the same layer, it is difficult to say that the pebble tools forming choppers were the earliest and the hand-axe etc. later and the Levallois flakes still later. It is, however, inferred by the authors that the few choppers and the proto-Levallois flakes suggest Sohan influence on the pre-existing hand-axe culture.⁴⁴
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⁴⁴ Ibid., p. 48.
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Some of the hand-axes and the cleavers are of a much more advanced type recalling those from Attirampakam, near Madras and evolved Acheulian. And in several areas, Giddalur and Gangapur near Nasik, for instance, these are associated with Levallois flakes. Thus the so-called Choppers and proto-Levallois flakes seem to form an integral part of the hand-axe-cleaver culture.
Yamuna Valley
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Palaeoliths have recently been reported from Bariyari, 14 miles to the east of Kausambi on the right bank of a tributary of the Yamuna in Banda District.⁴⁵
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⁴⁵ I.A.R., 1955-56, p. 4. The writer had an opportunity to examine the collections at Allahabad in 1959, owing to the courtesy of Professor G. R. SHARMA. A careful resurvey is necessary before arriving at any conclusion.
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[Figure: Diagrammatic section of the Rihand river midway between Kota and Pipri
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[Figure: RIVER BAITARANI - RAMLA ORISSA