An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s4.5

v1.c17.s4.5

The almost contemporary n.-w. Neolithic culture [4.6.1] is represented at its type site at BURZAHOM, where as many as 14 burials have been excavated. Located within the habitation of the later phase of the culture and in close proximity to each other, nine of them turned out to be human and five animal burials. The human burials included both the extended and flexed types, dug into the floors of houses. The grave goods included soapstone disc beads, barrel-shaped beads and fragmentary bones of animals, perhaps sacrificed. The skull of the skeleton of an extended burial bore seven finished and four unfinished trepanning holes, a practice which is also attested among the Harappans at KALIBANGAN. Fractional burials contain post-exposure bones in pits plastered with lime. Skulls and long bones of several examples have been found bearing traces of red ochre. The animal burials followed closely the practices of the human ones: a dog was buried in the flexed manner in a pit dug into the living floor. In one example however there is the evidence of fractional collective burial since in it were found the bones of five wild dogs mixed up with two antler deer. Such practices remained in vogue at BURZAHOM in the succeeding period, Megalithic [4.17.1], except that in a few examples free-standing stone pillars were planted over the graves.