An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c31.105

v2.c31.105

Daojali Hading (25°26′; 90°10′), Dt N. Cachar Hills, located on a low ridge of Tertiary sandstone which rises to a height of about 450 m above mean sea level. Covered with a dense forest of bamboo, the site, a large part of which is eroded away, with the resultant exposure of ground and polished stone tools, was explored and excavated by the writer during 1961-3. In 1961 a test pit measuring 3·60 × ·75 m was dug in order to determine the stratigraphic and cultural sequences of the site. In 1963 four regular trenches, each measuring 3·60 m sq, were excavated; one of them, B, showed a regular series of deposits. In other trenches the top layers were seen to have been washed off, removing the cultural layers completely or partially. The cuttings dug down to a depth of 1·50 m exposed three layers: 1, dark loose earth, 20 to 30 cm in thickness, culturally sterile; 2, 75 cm in thickness, dark grey and comparatively loose in the upper part and relatively compact in the lower, archaeologically very rich, bearing stone tools of various types and potsherds; and 3, excavated to a depth of 45 cm, yellowish-brown compact earth, culturally barren, natural soil. A number of potsherds were found at the junction of layers 2 and 3 indicating that the first neolithic [4.6.6] occupation of the site took place on the top of the compact brown earth of layer 3. There is thus a single cultural horizon, with a depth of 20 cm to 1 m over the natural soil.