An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s2.t1: 4.2.1 Siwalik region
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s2.t1
- Language
- English
4.2.1 Siwalik region
v1.c9.s2.t1.1
The youngest part of the Himalayas, or the outer Himalayas, is known as the Siwalik region. Composed of the accumulation of alluvium in the remote past, the region derives its name from the mountain near Hardwar, which is made of a similar formation and is called 'Siwalik'. The Palaeolithic implements are found on the earlier terraces of the rivers SIRSA, BEAS, BANGANGA and RAVI. [For the Sohan in Pakistan, see 4.2.]
v1.c9.s2.t1.2
In the valley of the Sirsa, around NALAGARH, in the foothills of the Simla Himalayas, terraces are found in the post-Siwalik deposits. The artefacts obtained by Sen, 1955, from the middle and upper terraces are made on big quartzite pebbles. The tool-kit is devoid of Acheulian and Abbevillian implements and contains primarily choppers and crude flakes of the Early Sohan tradition. At a distance of less than 16 km from NALAGARH two terraces were discovered by Mohapatra, 1966, on the GHAGGHAR. Pebble choppers and unworked flakes were found on the terraces at DERA, KHARAUNI and CHANDI-MANDIR, all of the Sirsa culture-complex. The course of the BANGANGA lying in Dt Kangra retains five terraces near GULER. Choppers made on quartzite pebbles, a few chopping tools, protohandaxes and flakes of Clactonian and proto-Levallois tradition [16.15.1] were collected from the first three terraces. In Dt Kathua of the Jammu area in Jammu and Kashmir Pleistocene deposits containing tools are reported from JURRO, PINYANI, TERRA, MOH and JAGATPUR (*IAR 1965-6*, p. 19). The assemblages belong to Early Sohan and Pre-Sohan traditions. Near SAMBA pebble tools were obtained from the terraces of the Basantar at NANDI, MANANU and PALTHA (*IAR 1968-9*, p. 19). Later on an Abbevillian handaxe, pebble tools and massive flakes were discovered from the deposits of the Second Glaciation and Interglaciation near PAHALGAM in Kashmir (Sankalia, 1974).
v1.c9.s2.t1.3
Mohapatra, G.C., 1966, in *Bull. Deccan College Res. Inst.*, 25, pp. 221-30. Sankalia, 1974, *Prehistory & Protohistory of India & Pakistan*, Poona, p. 33. Sen, D., 1955, in *Man in India*, 35, pp. 177-84. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—V. JAYASWAL
v1.c9.s2.t1.4
*4.2.2 Vindhyan region.* The area roughly includes the hilly track of the Vindhyan and Kaimur ranges and the adjoining plains of the Ganga and Narmada systems. In the Malwa plateau a number of Lower Palaeolithic localities are reported from the banks of river Shivna, a tributary of the Chambal. The industries either are found in Gravel I of the region or have been associated with it on the basis of the typological similarities with implements found *in situ*. All the implements found at BHANGARH, NANAKANTHUR, CHIKALIA, NABHARAGARH, KHADKI and MANDSAUR (Khatri, 1957) are made on quartzite pebbles and belong to the Acheulian tradition, as the main component of these industries is handaxes and cleavers. A similar lithic tradition existed and flourished in the area around Bhopal. On the flat hilltop at BHIMBETKA a number of rock-shelters contain Acheulian remains (Misra, 1974). Wakankar, 1973, has claimed a separate horizon for the pebble-tool culture in one of the shelters at BHIMBETKA. In the vicinity there are also a few factory sites of both the pebble tool and Acheulian traditions.
v1.c9.s2.t1.5
An open-air Acheulian workshop was found by Singh, 1965, near LALITPUR in Dt Jhansi. At this site pink granite blocks had been converted into tools. A noteworthy feature of the industry is that cleavers made on flakes, most of which were obtained by Victoria West technique, outnumber handaxes, which generally have the highest frequency in the Acheulian culture-complex of the subcontinent. Besides the industry also retains the technologically advanced features such as a considerable proportion of Levallois flakes and a few Levallois points [16.15.1].
v1.c9.s2.t1.6
At the trijunction of Dts Hamirpur, Jhansi and Chhatarpur, a pebble-tool complex was discovered by Pant, 1965. Near the village LAHCHURA on the bank of the Dhasan and from the foot of the adjoining hills choppers and chopping tools were picked up. There is a complete absence of Acheulian implements. The flakes found in the industry are the by-products obtained during the manufacture of pebble tools. The assemblage compares well with the Early Sohan industries of the Siwalik region.
v1.c9.s2.t1.7
The discoveries in Dts Damoh (Joshi, 1961) and Sagar evidence the existence of both pebble tool and Acheulian traditions in the region. REHLI, GHAGRA, HARAT, ASLANA, MARIADO, etc., are a few noteworthy localities where Acheulian and pebble tools co-occur with crude flakes. A similar assemblage comes from Terrace 1 of the Ken near BARIARI village, Dt Banda. But the collections made from RAMCHANDRA HILL, DURENDI, SITAPUR and LODHWARA in the same Dt (Pant, 1963-4) belong to the typical Acheulian traditions.
v1.c9.s2.t1.8
The claims made by Krishnaswami *et al.*, 1961, in regard to the SINGRAULI basin are similar to the above findings. Here handaxes of Abbevillio-Acheulian tradition were obtained with a considerable proportion of pebble tools from the conglomerate deposits of Balia Nadi, a tributary of the Rihand. But in the adjoining area, which is drained by the BELAN and Seoti, only the Acheulian trend seems to exist (Sharma, 1973, 1975). The conglomerate deposits as well as the hill slopes containing about 17 factory sites have revealed handaxes, cleavers, a few scrapers and prepared flakes made on quartzite blocks. The other group of assemblages having similar techno-typological characteristics come from the upper Son basin around SHAHDOL, SIDHI and BILASPUR (Ahmed, 1966).
v1.c9.s2.t1.9
Important Pleistocene remains are reported from the basin of the NARMADA. After the first proper investigation of the area lying between HOSHANGABAD and Narsinghpur by de Terra and Paterson, 1939, various parts of the basin were studied by a number of explorers. The Pleistocene sequence and cultural remains of this area are a subject of controversy. De Terra and Paterson claimed two sets of industries, i.e. Abbevillio-Acheulian along with Sohan tool types, and developed Acheulian from two sedimentary groups, viz., Lower and Upper. The observations of Sankalia and Subbarao, 1953, near MAHESHWAR, Dt Nimar, agrees with those of de Terra and Paterson. However investigation by Khatri, 1961, near MAHADEO-PIPARIA revealed a gradual techno-typological evolution of industries from the pebble tool to the Acheulian, which he claims to be supported by stratigraphy. Khatri says that the pebble tool complex or Mahadevian is a pre-Chellean industry, comparing well with the Oldowan of e. Africa. Later Supekar, 1968, conducted excavations at the same locality and his conclusions completely ruled out Khatri's presumption.
v1.c9.s2.t1.10
Though not supported by stratigraphy, the Lower Palaeolithic industries of the NARMADA basin do show two techno-typological groups. The first group comprises the industries in which pebble tools and big crude flakes dominate. In the industries of the second group Acheulian implements have a prepondering position. MAHADEO-PIPARIA represents the first group, where the chopper-chopping element is about 20 per cent more than the handaxe-cleaver element; whereas in the Acheulian group, mainly at ADAMGARH, along with the frequent types of handaxes and cleavers, Levallois flakes also account for a good portion of the industry. Both the groups are worked on quartzite pebbles.
v1.c9.s2.t1.11
Ahmed, N., 1966, "Stone Age Cultures of the Upper Son Valley", unpublished thesis, Poona. Joshi, R.V., 1961, in *AI*, 17, pp. 5-36. De Terra, H., & Paterson, T.T., 1939. *Studies on the Ice Age in India & Associated Human Cultures*, Washington. Krishnaswami, V.D., *et al.*, 1961, in *AI*, 7, p. 40. Khatri, A.P., 1957, in *Bull. Deccan College Res. Inst.*, 18, pp. 159-72; 1961, in *Anthropos*, 56, pp. 519-30. Misra, V.N., 1974, in *Seminar on Indian Pre- & Proto-history, 1974*, Poona. Pant, P.C., 1963-4, in *Bharati*, 7, pp. 114-42; 1965, in Misra, V.N. & Mate, M.S., ed., *Indian Prehistory, 1964*, Poona, p. 8. Sankalia, H.D., *et al.*, 1953, in *S. W. Journal of Anthropology*, 9, 4, pp. 343-56. Sharma, G.R., 1973, in Agrawal, D.P., & Ghosh, A., ed., *Radiocarbon & Indian Arch.*, Bombay, pp. 106-10; 1975, *Presidential Address to the Indian Prehistoric Soc.*, New Delhi. Singh, R., 1965, "Palaeolithic Industries of n. Bundelkhand", unpublished thesis, Poona. Supekar, S.G., 1968, "Pleistocene Stratigraphy & Prehistoric Arch. of the c. Narmada Basin", unpublished thesis, Poona. Wakankar, V.S., 1973, in *Jour Ind. History*, 51, 1, pp. 23-32. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—V. JAYASWAL