An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s18.t3.43

v1.c9.s18.t3.43

Phase II: As elsewhere, the earliest reliable historical relics belong to the Mauryan times by which period the Megalithic culture was perhaps in an advanced stage. Excavations at DHARANIKOTA and the *stūpa* site at AMARAVATI provide substantially new evidence. The earliest occupation at the *stūpa* site was characterized by the use of iron, Black-and-red Ware and more significantly the NBPW. The earliest inhabitants lived in huts raised on posts, although there is evidence of the use of burnt brick. Of far-reaching importance is the occurrence of the NBPW in large quantities (Sarma, 1974a, 1975) in well-stratified contexts for the first time in peninsular India and that too in levels preceding and contemporary to the foundation of the *stūpa*. On the basis of other reliable finds such as inscribed granite uprights and a fragmentary pillar edict of Aśoka, the earliest NBPW horizons admittedly below the *stūpa* levels can be assigned to *c.* 4th century B.C. The corresponding levels yielding a scatter of the NBPW and Black-and-red Ware at DHARANIKOTA have been dated by ¹⁴C method to 475 ± 100 to 205 ± 100 B.C. The horizons of NBPW in the pre-*stūpa* level indicates an early advent of Buddhist missionaries from the n. (Sarma, 1974b).