An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s14.t1.13

v1.c9.s14.t1.13

In the first zone the sites are concentrated in the basins of the Mayurakshi and Bakreswar, the land surface of which is the result of the deposition of alluvium degraded from the w. tableland with ferruginous laterite [9.6] occupying a large area of this tract. At some places were a number of microlithic blades in quartz and agate, some with crested ridge [16.15.2] but not always accompanied by the diagnostic black-and-red ware [11.6.5]. From near KOTASUR however a large number of sherds of the ware have been picked up; Kotasur reveals evidence of continuous habitation from the black-and-red ware stage to the late historical period. The undulation in the land surface gradually merges with the Rādha area of Murshidabad, where at CHIRUTI on the w. bank of the Bhagirathi there is evidence of Chalcolithic occupation. This seems to be the only known Chalcolithic site in Dt Murshidabad. Intensive exploration in the long stretch of the Older Alluvium between the Mayurakshi and Bakreswar has shown a number of sites indicating the springing up of a cluster of Chalcolithic settlements. The pottery includes the black-and-red, black-painted buff, chocolate-coloured, burnished red-and-black ware comprising the channel-spouted or lipped bowl, pedestalled cup of ink-pot type, etc. There is a profusion of scrapers, lunates and short blades with occasional Neolithic [4.6.4] celts.