An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c35.32

v2.c35.32

**Hallur**, (14°20′; 75°37′), Dt Dharwar, on the left bank of the Tungabhadra, anciently known as Hallavaru, Vijayasamudra or Vijayapura, mentioned in late historical inscriptions as the capital of the Śindas, excavated by M.S. Nagaraja Rao in 1965. The total deposit of 6·40 m can be divided into two Pds, Pd I with two phases. The first phase, early Neolithic [4.6.9], has pale-grey and burnished ware, sometimes painted in red ochre, a coarse blackish ware and a small quantity of reddish-brown ware with purple painting. Edge-ground polished stone axes of soft schist occur in small numbers, but blades are absent. No houses, not even floors, have been encountered. Phase 2 of Pd I has the black burnished ware continued from Phase I, and in addition brown-and-black ware, coarse dull-red ware, all the three with ochre paintings and a few black-painted red ware akin to the Jorwe Ware [11.11]. There are polished stone axes, this time of dolerite and trap, and rich blade industry of black quartzite with parallel-sided blades and lunates. Copper objects such as double axes [6.2] and fish-hooks give this phase a Chalcolithic [4.14.8] character. The houses indicated by post-holes are circular with bamboo fibres within. The floors are made of chipped schist stone and levelled by fine river sand. A double urn child burial in an oval pit has been met with in the excavated area itself. There are shell, quartz, steatite and bone beads.