The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c14.s1.t4.3

c14.s1.t4.3

These excavations at Maheshvar-Navdatoli were again renewed under the joint auspices of the Deccan College Research Institute, the University of Baroda and the Department of Archaeology, Madhya Pradesh (1957-58). During this season, the Chalcolithic settlement on the south bank of the river Narbada was excavated horizontally. It revealed nearly a dozen floor levels of prosperous agricultural communities cultivating cereals, grams and pulses (now being identified. They lived in square and round huts of wattle and daub construction and walls reinforced with thick round posts. As a result of conflagrations the settlement seems to have been disturbed at least thrice. On this basis, the occupation was divided into four phases. The earliest is characterized by the widespread use of cream slipped wares with black paintings, very reminiscent in forms and decorations to those of Sialk. With it occurs a painted variety of black-and-red pottery, suggesting contacts with Eastern Rajputana and the type site Ahar. Five large copper celts were found. While some of them have straight sides with convex edges, one has a distinct shoulder and crescentic-edge, suggesting affinity with the Gangetic valley. In the next phase, the black-and-red painted ware gradually declines in quantity and we see the appearance of certain