An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s6.t5.8

v1.c9.s6.t5.8

Almost contemporary with or slightly earlier than Phase II of NAGARJUNAKONDA are some of the Neolithic sites of c. India, where Chalcolithic elements in the form of painted pottery and long blades are found as distinctive trends. On the basis of the ¹⁴C dates sites like UTNUR (Allchin, 1960), PALAVOY and KODEKAL may be dated from 2335 to 1885 B.C. (Paddayya, 1973). The lowest level of PALAVOY (Romi Reddy, 1968), an ash mound in Dt Anantpur, has produced long blades and bone tools, along with painted pottery, dull red ware and blotchy grey ware. UTNUR in Dt Mahbubnagar is also an ash mound revealing painted pottery, burnished grey ware, neoliths and blades. Ascribable to 2160 B.C. on the basis of uncalibrated ¹⁴C determination, the settlement of UTNUR yielded a large quantity of animal bones, besides cattle pens. Thus while the people here knew stock breading and the use of pottery, Chalcolithic elements might have been just diffused traits not affecting the basic economic pattern. Ecological factors of all the Neolithic sites, where Chalcolithic elements, including the use of copper or bronze, have been discerned, are far away from flood-plain and were hence not conducive to the development of a real food-producing economy.