An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s15.1

v1.c16.s15.1

*11.15.1 Vindhyan region*. Explorations and excavations in the Vindhyan region in recent years have resulted in the discovery of numerous Megalithic sites [4.17.3] distributed over an area of approximately 22400 square km extending from the valley of the Karamnasa on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the e. to the valley of the Paisuni on the border of Dts Satna-Banda in the w. and from the Son in Dt Sidhi in the s. to the Lapari in Dt Allahabad in the n. The important sites are KAKORIA KAURIHAR in Dt Varanasi; BARJI, KARANPUR, KHUNTABIR, BANIMILA-BAHERA and GALARA in Dt Mirzapur; KAPASI KALAN, LONAMATI, KUNDIDIH, KOTIA KHAJURI, PATIHARI, DAIYA, BADAUN KALAN, KOSKANGARHA, VASAHA-HARDAUN, KONDI and PAWARI in Dt Allahabad; PAHARA and LALAPUR in Dt Banda; Gobari on the Jhurrinala in Dt Satna; BAHUTI FALL and CHACHAI FALL in Dt Rewa; and KASAULI and BABURI in Dt Sidhi. The megaliths of the region can broadly be divided into the following groups: (1) cairn circles, (2) cists (including transepted and dolmenoid varieties), and (3) cists within cairn. Of them KAKORIA and KOTIA, located at a considerable distance from each other, have been excavated. the excavation of 12 graves and habitational area at KAKORIA has fully established the Chalcolithic [4.14.2] character of the site. The excavation has yielded a homogeneous pottery and microliths. The other finds include copper pieces, beads of semiprecious stones, terracotta sling balls, stone weights, hammer-stones with battering marks, muller [6.19], etc. Excavation of five graves at KOTIA has yielded different pottery assemblages, iron objects, beads of semiprecious stones, terracotta and bones along with bone fragments of domesticated animals. A few bones bear cut-marks, while from two megaliths a few pieces of charred bones have been recovered. These megaliths thus belong to the Iron Age. An examination of the assemblages enables us to divide all the megaliths of the region into three broad groups: (1) Chalcolithic sites like KAKORIA, KAURIHAR, KOLDIHWA, VASAHA-HARDAUN, GOBARI, etc. (2) Transitional sites like KHAJURI, KAPASI KALAN, MAHULI, KOILARIHA, etc; these sites have yielded material belonging to both groups (1) and (3) and most probably represent a continuous settlement from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age. (3) Iron Age Megalithic sites like KOTIA and others; they are in a majority and are widely distributed. The KOTIA type of pottery, iron objects, iron slag, pieces of glass bangles, etc., have been collected from these sites and microliths and typical KAKORIA pottery are absent.