An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c14.s5: 9.5 Fossil Sand-dunes
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c14.s5
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9.5 Fossil Sand-dunes
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Two well-known groups of fossil sand-dunes are met with in the archaeological context. The first is the *teri* and the second the LANGHNAJ group.
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The *teri* group has been studied in slightly greater detail than the other. The word *teri* in Tamil would mean sandy waste. At the same time a lake is called *eri* and wasteland *tei*; as such *teri* may also possibly mean ‘wasted lake’. If so it rightly signifies the origin of these sites. During the post-Pleistocene period [9.8.4] there was a series of marine regressions and aggressions in the s.most end of the e. coast. An emergence of 13·7 m has been calculated on the basis of the fossils of species of pectern and oysters found 5 m above the coastline at Tuticorin. These are the species which are now found at about the 5 fathom line. Simultaneously tree trunks have been found under shallow water. In fact Ceylon got connected and disconnected with India several times. While the aggressions were minor in nature, the regressions were more substantial. The formation of the *teris* was therefore based on the resultant regression. Series of *teri* sites occur in a line, each series almost equidistant from the sea. The most inland *teris* are therefore the earliest ones. The sand-dunes are of aeolian origin. Below the shifting sands of the dunes which are of subrecent origin occur soils in two horizons, A and B, A being a completely immature soil and B seemingly slightly older.
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The *teri* industry is found on the surface of the B horizon where the A horizon has been blown away. Thus the horizon for the *teri* industry proper appears to be either at the junction of the two horizons or belongs more to the A horizon. The latter alternative seems to be more probable as the industry is found in clusters as if it had been put there after getting the contents sieved. The industry certainly appears to be slightly older than the other Mesolithic industries [4.5]. Its dating, 4000 B.C., has been arrived at by the sea-level changes, assigning to it the Late Atlantic, i.e. the last of the marine terraces, though the calculation is not based on the study of the Indian Ocean or the Bay of Bengal. Similar industries are found in Ceylon, where, on the basis of typology only, they have been associated with the Neolithic complex. [cf. SAWYERPURAM.]
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The LANGHNAJ group has also been formed under more or less similar circumstances. Situated in Dt Mahesana in the sandy alluvial plain of n. and c. Gujarat there are clusters of these sites. On a desertic plain around fresh-water lakes sand banks have formed. In these fossil sand banks has been found a microlithic industry [4.5]. At Langhnaj this industry is not properly stratified except in the change of colour and compactness of the sand deposits. At the top occur microliths and iron objects. Below this a copper knife was found. The pre-pottery part of the industry cannot be properly isolated. The industry is however important in having human skeletons in semifossilized stage [15.2] and the remains of rhinoceros [15.1]. Even though ¹⁴C dating on the basis of burnt bone puts this industry to 2000 B.C. it would appear to be contemporary with the *teri* industry if the pre-pottery microlithic horizons can be truly isolated and identified.
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Hegde, K.T.M., 1977, in Agrawal, D.P., & Pande, B.M., ed., *Ecology & Arch. of w. India*, Delhi, pp. 169-80. Kalyanasundaram, V., 1943, in *Indian Geographical Jour.*, 18. Sankalia, H.D., 1974, *Prehistory & Protohistory of India & Pakistan*, Poona, p. 241. Spate, O.H.K., 1960, *India & Pakistan*, London. Zeuner, F.E., & Allchin, B., 1956, in *AI*, 12, pp. 4-20 (for *teris* in Dt Tirunelveli). For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—K.D. BANERJEE