An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s17.44

v1.c9.s17.44

Excavations have been conducted at only three sites so far. They are: KAKORIA near Hathinia hill in Chakia tahsil of Dt Varanasi, BANIMILIA-BAHERA near Jirgo dam in Chunar tahsil in Dt Mirzapur and KOTIA on the right bank of the Belan in Dt Allahabad. While they have revealed some cultural traits of the Vindhyan megalith-builders, the picture is still incomplete, and a reliable chronology also is yet to be worked out. It may be tentatively held that the megaliths of this region belong to two phases. The monuments of the first two excavated sites, KAKORIA and BANIMILIA-BAHERA, may be assigned to a pre-Iron Age, since no iron objects were found in the megaliths or the habitation area. At KOTIA on the other hand there is a definite association of iron with the structures, which may thus be said to belong to the early Iron Age. There is only one ¹⁴C date (270 B.C. ± 105) available from KOTIA. The fragmentary pottery associated with the two groups of megaliths looks somewhat similar but differs in fabric and shapes. Thus the KAKORIA complex is characterized by an ill-fired red pottery and black-and-red and all-black wares. At BANIMILIA-BAHERA the associated pottery includes an ill-fired dull red ware occasionally coated with red slip, an overfired red ware, blackslipped ware and black-and-red ware. However globular pots in red ware and bowls in black ware and black-and-red ware seem to be the preferred shapes. The characteristic wares of the Kotia culture are the black-and-red ware, red ware and a dull black or grey ware of thick fabric. The important shapes include the bowl, dish, carinated vessel, knobbed lid, large elliptical storage jar, etc. [See 11.15.1.]