An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s16.18

v1.c16.s16.18

A comparison of these ¹⁴C dates with stratigraphical dates at sites of various regions indicates that the ware did not appear at all the sites at one time. Even the dates of neighbouring sites like HASTINĀPURA and AHICCHATRĀ on one hand and KAUŚĀMBĪ and RAJGHAT⁴ on the other differ. The dates of the sites representing four *mahājanapadas* e.g. HASTINĀPURA (Kuru), AHICCHATRĀ (N. Pañcala), KAUŚĀMBĪ (Vatsa) and RAJGHAT⁴ (Kaśi) are also not consistent. [On the whole, however, calibration of ¹⁴C dates apart, the dates originally proposed by Wheeler and Krishna Deva, 1946, p. 56, viz. the 5th to the early part of the 2nd century, can still be regarded as holding the ground with marginal adjustments. It has been pointed out elsewhere, 4. 18. 1, that the somewhat prolonged career of the ware robs it to a certain extent of its value in precise dating.]