An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s6.t1: 11.6.5 Lower Ganga region
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c16.s6.t1
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11.6.5 Lower Ganga region
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The black-and-red ware is the characteristic ceramic industry of the Chalcolithic period in the lower Ganga valley [4.14.4]. It was first discovered at PANDU RAJAR DHIBI in 1959 and since then intensive fieldwork has brought to light nearly 50 sites in almost all the important river valleys lying to the w. of the Ganga. Its distribution from Dt Birbhum in the n. to the periphery of the coastal region beyond TAMLUK, Dt Midnapur, in the s. suggests a wide diffusion of Chalcolithic settlements located mainly on the flood plains of the older alluvium at a point where it merges with the wide alluvial plains of the Ganga. The following are some of the important sites: Dt Birbhum—BELUTI, DAULI, Ghurisha, Jaker Danga (HARAIPUR), KIRNAHAR, KOTASUR, MAHISDAL, MANDIRA, NANUR, Ranir Dhibi (Jashpur), POTANDA, Sakardihi and SURAT RAJAR DHIBI (Supur); Dt Bankura—CHIADA, Dihar and POKARNA; Dt Purulia—Deultaur; Dt Burdwan—Baneswar Danga, BHARATPUR, Eruar, Ganga Danga, Hazra Danga (Basantapur), MANGALKOT, Rajagram and SANTAL DANGA; Dt Murshidabad—Gitagram; Dt Midnapur—Ichapur, Natshal, SIJUA and TAMLUK.
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The principal types in order of frequency are the medium-sized vase, of which tulip-shaped and flowerpot types are distinctive, bowl, channel-spouted bowl, basin, jar, dish-on-stand and vase-stand. In the early Iron Age occurs a degenerate variety of the ware which contains, besides the common shapes, the miniature *hāṇḍī* and dish with incurved rim and convex side.
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The whole range of the industry is turned on the wheel except a few handmade specimens from the earliest level of PANDU RAJAR DHIBI. The fabric is medium, though a coarse variety occurs in the earliest and the degenerate phases. The clay is indifferently levigated and tempered with fine sand. In most pots a slip is applied on both sides except in vases which are treated with slip on the exterior and up to the neck on the interior. Some sherds have achieved a smooth and shining surface due to burnishing. Firing under different conditions has given a few pots a completely black interior and red exterior, while others are partly black and partly red on both sides; the latter occur in larger frequency.
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Some pots are painted on the inner side with a fugitive white pigment which has in most cases disappeared leaving only a faint impression of the design elements. The designs are all of frequently repeated linear patterns. The designs encountered mostly on fragmentary sherds are dots, dashes, obliques, strokes, double arches (flying birds of NAVDATOLI [11.10], rows of diamonds, series of hooks (sickle?), small thickened squares and parallel arcs with terminal loops at one end. The channelspouted bowl is occasionally stained with red ochre towards the end of the spouts. Other surface decorations are very rare. Besides grooves around the neck or the rim, occasionally a sherd is found to have on its body either an applied band of cord pattern and incised oblique notches or an incised band with criss-cross pattern. Graffiti are also extremely rare. A sherd bears on the exterior a wedge-shaped design with a vertical line in the middle and on another a motif looks like an unfinished humped bull.
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¹⁴C dates of the black-and-red ware horizons of three sites are available: MAHISDAL, Chalcolithic, early level, 1380±105 B.C., mid-level, 1085±110, late level, 1085±110; early Iron Age level with a grey ware and coarse pottery, 690±105 B.C.; PANDU RAJAR DHIBI, 1012±120 B.C. (?); and BHARATPUR, 1090±150, 820±140 B.C.
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For sites see respective entries in vol. II —S.K. MUKHERJEE