An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s22.5

v1.c16.s22.5

Stratigraphically, at TIRUKKAMPULIYUR and ALAGARAI this pottery occurs in the earliest period dated to c. 3rd century B.C. to 3rd or 4th century A.D. but is heavily concentrated in the lower layers. In relation to the levels containing the Rouletted Ware and Arretine Ware [11.20] datable to c. 1st century B.C. and 1st century A.D. at ARIKAMEDU and URAIYUR, the lower layers containing the ware can reasonably be held to be earlier. In the Krishna-Tungabhadra area, at CHANDRAVALLI and BRAHMAGIRI the layers of the early historical culture containing this pottery precede the layers with the rouletted ware and overlaps with the last phase of the Megalithic culture [4.17.8]. But in the Godavari valley where the pottery is scanty, as at NEVASA, it occurs along with the Rouletted Ware in Pd V dated to the 1st-2nd century A.D. This suggests that this pottery developed from the white-painted Megalithic pottery in the s. and gradually spread n. wards into the Krishna-Tungabhadra area, the Godavari valley forming the peripheral zone.