An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c10.s1.22

v1.c10.s1.22

The excavation at ARIKAMEDU (Wheeler, 1946b), achieved 'the distinction of being the first ancient Indian culture to be dated archaeologically in the Indian Peninsula' and provided 'a firm datum-line from which the classification of pre-medieval s. India can begin' (Wheeler, 1946a, p. 2). At this site certain wares of Roman origin, imported or imitated, provided a firm basis for dating remains there. Likewise the Rouletted Ware [11.21] at BRAHMAGIRI and CHANDRAVALLI helped in dating the underlying Megalithic ware [11.15] and the Russet-coated Painted Ware [11.22] which was found interlocked with it (Wheeler, 1947, pp. 200-2; Sharma, 1953, p. 121). The evidence of this ware, apart from the evidence of clay bullae [6.4], imitation Roman coins, Kushan coins and Puri-Kushan coins was utilized in archaeological dating of the remains at SISUPALGARH (Lal, 1949, pp. 70-2; Sharma, 1953, pp. 168-9).