The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t2.48

c14.s1.t2.48

Now when we cross the Indo-Gangetic divide, we leave the Harappan in space and time. The most important, and intriguing relics of this region are the enigmatic copper hoards from the Gangetic basin, studied by Heine Geldern,¹ Stuart Piggot,² D. H. Gordon,³ and B. B. Lal.⁴ Lal, by a fine typological analysis has shown that they differ from the Western groups and also points out the circumstantial but yet unproven association of the so-called "Ochre washed pottery" with these hoards. The reported discovery of Grey Ware at the hoard site of Pariar in Unao District, U. P. is encouraging and I hope it will receive early attention. But one interesting fact emerges; with such highly specialized and evolved copper tools, testifying marked technological achievement, is it too much to conjecture that their advent marks the beginning of the clearance of the semi-tropical jungles of the Gangetic basin? (Fig. 28)