An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s14.8

v1.c16.s14.8

Stratigraphically the PGW is preceded by the OCW [11.5] at AHICCHATRĀ and HASTINĀPURA or with a definite intervening gap by the Harappa culture [4.9] at ROPAR and ALAMGIRPUR. At yet other sites the NOH and ATRANJIKHERA a brief phase of the black-and-red ware [4.13] intervenes between the OCW and PGW. An altogether different picture emerges from the excavation at BHAGWANPURA², where the PGW overlaps with late Harappan material [4.10]. Otherwise the PGW definitely belongs to the Iron Age. Towards its ends it overlaps with the NBPW [4.18.1] at many sites, though at HASTINĀPURA a gap intervenes between the end of the PGW and advent of the NBPW. The date of the NBPW is not uniform everywhere [11.16] and Sinha [1969, p. 179], believes that the NBPW of HASTINĀPURA belongs to a later phase, c. 350 B.C. If 100 or 200 years are assigned to the gap between the PGW and NBPW at HASTINĀPURA the former must have come to an end around 500 B C. Again, if a period of 300 years is assigned to the 2 m thick PGW deposit of HASTINĀPURA, the beginning of the PGW should be taken to have started around 9th-8th century B.C. ¹⁴C dates also support this: except for a solitary date of 1025±100 for ATRANJIKHERA no date goes beyond 820±225 B.C. (NOH). [A higher date for the advent of the PGW is advocated by others, Lal, 1954-5, and 4.15].