An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s17.110

v1.c9.s17.110

At PAIYAMPALLI Pd II (Megalithic, Pd I being Neolithic [4.6.10]) was represented by 3-to-5 cm deposit, comprising four successive floors, three of which were of lime and the last of red earth. Post-holes and rubble footing were noticed in a manner suggestive of circular or rectangular houses. Remains of an oven and storage jars were also seen. Iron objects like knives, sickles and nails were present, besides terracotta figurines of birds and animals, bangles of glass and shell and beads of semiprecious stones including etched ones. As this culture overlapped with or intruded into the preceding Neolithic of Pd I, there was a continued use of some Neolithic implements also. Large quantities of iron slag were noticed all over the site, suggestive of local smelting of iron by the people. The ceramics consist of the black-and-red ware and red and pink wares, apart from a coarse red ware; the russet-coated painted ware occurred in the late levels of the Pd. Some pits also yielded charred grains of *kulți* or gram, green gram and cereals resembling *rāgi*—locally grown and consumed even today.