An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c30.397

v2.c30.397

In the absence of any ¹⁴C dates its chronological framework can only tentatively be worked out in the light of the following available evidences pertaining to identical cultures in the BELAN valley and the surrounding areas: (1) A development sequence almost identical to that of Chopani-Mando is also observed in the BELAN section where the three deposits—humus soil, aeolian and subarial layers—above the cemented gravel III have yielded industries of the Epipalaeolithic, Early Mesolithic (pre-pottery non-geometric microliths) and Late Mesolithic (geometric microliths associated with pottery) respectively. The cemented gravel III—the horizon of the Upper Palaeolithic immediately preceding the Epipalaeolithic—of the BELAN has yielded a ¹⁴C date of 17765 ± 340 B.C. (2) The Mesolithic site of SARAI-NAHAR-RAI, Dt Pratapgarh, the lithic assemblage of which is almost identical to that of Phase II B of Chopani-Mando, has produced a ¹⁴C date of 8395 ± 110 B.C. (3) one of the ¹⁴C dates from the Neolithic deposit of KOLDIHWA is 5440 ± 240 B.C. Thus in the light of the above evidence the entire occupational deposit of Chopani-Mando may tentatively be placed within a time span of 17000 to 7000 B.C. —B.B. MISRA