An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c30.73

v2.c30.73

**Champaner**, Dt Panch Mahals. A medieval capital of Gujarat on the Pavagarh hill, in the vicinity of which Stone Age tools have been discovered at BHAMARIA, CHAKIARO, GOKALPURA and JHANKHARIA, on the banks of the streamlets Karad, Jorvan and others. A handaxe in the make-up of a medieval wall at Champaner itself gave the clue for further investigation. Large rhyolite cores, scrapers or choppers, handaxes, cleavers and flakes form the earliest, Lower Palaeolithic [4.2], group occurring in the lowest gravel. Smaller flakes of a later series (Middle Palaeolithic [4.3]) with a preference for crypto-crystalline material occur much higher up in the Black Cotton Soil [9.1], the formation of which might be coeval with the tools. Microliths are available on the Black Cotton Soil as well as on the loessic banks of nullahs, rivers and dunes around. Mehta, R.N., 1977, *Prehistoric Champaner*, Vadodara.—H.P. RAY