Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s3: OCP Culture
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s3
- Language
- English
OCP Culture
v1.c19.s3.1
The earliest cultural deposit lying immediately above the natural soil is associated with the Ochre Colour Pottery. There was no sign of regular habitation, such as marks of burnt organic material, floor levels etc. An analysis of the soil containing the OCP indicates that the area had been flooded by the river and remained water-logged for a considerable period. This period is often met with sandstone and quartzite pieces (some being fragments of querns and pestles), a terracotta bead (?), a sling ball (?), a potter's dabber and two pottery discs. The stone pieces that were recovered in course of excavation are indeterminate in shape. The querns appear to have been rather shallow with sagger base. Among the terracotta objects only five such objects have been recovered from the deposit of Period I. The objects are a sling ball, a perforated pottery disc, another pottery disc, and an indeterminate object probably a bead or pendant.
v1.c19.s3.2
That OCP was associated with the copper hoards seems to be established by the excavations at Saipai. (Lal, 1971, & 1972) A few OCP shards from Atrañjikhera have been dated by the thermoluminescent technique at Oxford and the mean age is around 1690 BC. (Gaur, 1983: 21)
v1.c19.s3.3
The Black and Red Ware at Atrañjikhera coming after OCP seems to be related to similar potteries (with additional painting) in the Ahar and Gilund complexes. It appears that around 1400-1300 BC, a branch of the B&RW people left Ahar region, crossed Chambal and settled at Atrañjikhera and then Noh. (Gaur, 1983: 20)