An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s14.10

v1.c9.s14.10

*4.14.1 Banas*. Outside the area of the Indus civilization the basin of the river Banas in Mewar is one of those regions in India that witnessed the earliest emergence of settled community life based on farming economy. This early farming culture has been called the Banas culture; alternatively it may be named the Ahar culture after the site where it was first identified and where, to date, it is best known. Nearly 50 sites of this culture are known, located in the area lying between 24° and 27° lat. and 73° and 76° long. in the valleys of the river Banas and its tributary system comprising the Berach, Kothari, Khari, Dai, Sodra, Mashi, Gambhiri and Wagan in Dts Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Tonk and Jaipur in Rajasthan and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. The two excavated sites of this culture are Ahar² on the river of the same name in Dt Udaipur and Gilund on the Banas in Dt Chittaurgarh.