Chalcolithic Sites | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Bangarh

In South Dinajpur District, West Bengal:

• This site is the first in North Bengal to show evidence of the Chalcolithic period.
• Archaeological findings include a hearth with charcoal traces, a copper bowl, a black and red ware (BRW) dish, a copper rod, a broken antimony piece, and numerous pot sherds.
• These discoveries indicate that the site was likely a manufacturing centre.

Mahisdal

• Period- 1619-1415 BCE. 
• House floors rammed with terracotta nodules, lots of microliths and bone tools, beads of steatite and semi precious stone, terracotta bangles and phallus,one copper celt found. 
• Pottery– BRW was main form. 

Pandu Rajar Dhibi

• Site from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. 
• First Chalcolithic culture identified in West Bengal. 
• Findings include microliths, ground stone tools, bone tools, and pottery. 
• During the Chalcolithic period, there were some copper artifacts, beads made from semi-precious stones, terracotta figurines, iron spearheads and points, slag, and ovens. 
• Iron artifacts were discovered at Chalcolithic levels. 
• Pottery mainly consisted of Black and Red Ware (BRW). 
• Animal bones found include those of domesticated cattle, buffalo, goat, and deer. 
• Economy based on agriculture and trade, with a strong focus on rice production in riparian (riverbank) areas. 

Senuar/Senuwar(Neolithic and Chalcoiithic both)

• Location: Rohtas is situated on the banks of the Kudra River in Bihar. 
• Housing: The people lived in houses made of wattle and daub, a traditional building method using woven branches and mud. 
• Pottery: They produced various types of pottery, including red ware, burnished red ware, and burnished grey ware, mostly made using a wheel. 
• Tools: Stone tools, microliths (small stone tools), and some bone tools were found at the site. 
• Beads: Beads made from semi-precious stones were discovered, indicating skilled craftsmanship. 
• Domesticated Animals: The people had domesticated animals such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, cats, dogs, and pigs. They also hunted wild animals like nilgai, antelope, and chital. 
• Crops: They cultivated crops twice a year, including rice, barley, dwarf wheat, millet, and lentils. 
• Shellfish: Large remains of mollusks and shells suggest that shellfish were also a part of their diet. 

Navdatoli

• Location: West Nimar district, Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of the Narmada River. 
• Time Period: Chalcolithic and Late Harappan era. 
• Culture: Malwa culture, with Navdatoli being the largest settlement of this culture. 

Habitation:

• Houses were circular or rectangular in shape. 
• Circular wattle-and-daub houses with post holes were common. 
• Floors were plastered with lime. 
• The ancient village was inhabited through four stages. 
• Chulhas (cooking areas) and storage jars were found in houses. 

Pottery:

• Types included Black Red Ware (BRW) and grey ware with painted designs. 

Diet:

• People sustained themselves on both plant and animal food. 
• Domesticated animals included cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs, which were consumed as meat. 
• Crop remains found include rice, wheat, barley, black gram, lentil, ber, and amla. 

Rituals:

• A sacrificial pit was found, along with a terracotta female figurine and a bull associated with fertility rituals. 
• A painted human figure is interpreted as proto-Shiva.
• A huge storage jar featured a figure of a shrine between a female figure and a lizard. 

Kayatha

Ujjain District, Madhya Pradesh:

• Location: On the banks of the Chotti Kali Sindh River. 
• Cultural Sequence: A five-fold cultural sequence has been identified, starting with the Kayatha culture, followed by the Ahar culture, and then the Malwa culture. 
• Period: Chalcolithic and late Harappan. 

Houses:

• Types: Rectangular and circular huts. 
• Materials: Made of mud and reed with mud-plastered floors. 

Animal Remains:

• Domesticated Animals: Bones of domesticated cattle and horses have been found. 
• Grain Remains: No grain remains were discovered. 

Artefacts:

• Microliths: Made of locally available chalcedony. 
• Copper Items: Axes, chisels, and bangles. 
• Ornaments: Made of agate, steatite, and carnelian beads. 
• Axes: Sourced from Ganeshwar. 
• Pottery: Brown slipped and well-baked Kayatha ware, mostly painted in violet or deep red. 

Eran

Historical Findings in Sagar District, Madhya Pradesh

Gupta Inscriptions:

• An inscription from Samudra Gupta's time indicates that a part of western Malwa was annexed by Chandra Gupta. 

Inscription at Eran (510 AD):

• This inscription provides the earliest concrete evidence of the practice of Sati. 

Vishnu Shrines:

• Gupta period Vishnu shrines have been discovered, with the Varah Temple being particularly famous. 

Cultural Phases:

• Early Phase: Malwa culture. 
• Later Phase: Black and Red Ware (BRW) and iron culture. 

Archaeological Features:

• Mud fortification wall and a moat have been found, indicating past defensive structures. 

Ahar (Ahar / Banas culture)

1. Location and Period:

• Situated on the banks of the Ahar River in southeastern Rajasthan.
• Dates back to the Chalcolithic and Late Harappan period.

2. Pottery:

• Predominantly Black-and-Red Ware (BRW) featuring linear and dotted designs.
• Common shapes include bowls, bowls-on-stands, and vases.

3. Tools:

• Mainly copper tools such as choppers, axes, knives, and chisels have been found.

4. Habitation:

• People lived in a variety of houses including single, double, and multi-roomed rectangular and circular structures.
• Houses were constructed from stones and mud bricks, with walls plastered using mud.
• Each house typically contained a kitchen, storage bins, and stone saddle querns for processing food.

5. Subsistence Pattern:

• Agriculture included the cultivation of wheat, millets, rice, lentils, and other crops.
• Engaged in animal husbandry and hunting for subsistence.
• Maintained trade links with Harappan cultures.

Balathal

• The site is located very close to Ahar in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan.
• It dates back to the Early Harappan phase and the early Ganeshwar culture.

Housing Structure:

• Initially, people lived in wattle and daub houses, which are made from woven branches and mud.
• Later, larger rectangular houses were built using mud bricks and stone.

Pottery and Kilns:

• Two potter's kilns were discovered at the site.
• The pottery found includes: thin red ware, tar ware, black and red ware, and buff-colored pots.

Tools and Ornaments:

• Mainly copper tools such as choppers and knives were found.
• Some bone tools were also discovered, along with beads made of semiprecious stones and terracotta figurines of bulls.

Agriculture and Domestication:

• Crops cultivated include wheat, barley, black and green gram, peas, and linseed.
• Domesticated animals include cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.

Health Evidence:

• Evidence of leprosy was found through DNA testing of skeletons at the site.

Gilund

• Chalcolithic and late Harappan site.
• Largest site of Ahar-Banas complex.
• Houses of mud bricks and burnt bricks with storage pits.
• Artefacts- Microliths, fragments of copper, beads of semi-precious stone.
• Terracotta figurines of animals including humped bull with long horns.

Gungeria

• A site known for copper hoards where 424 copper objects were discovered all together in one hoard.

Ganeshwar Jodhpura

• Jodhpura: Evidence of Prehistoric and Chalcolithic cultures.
• Pottery: Found pottery includes both handmade and wheel-made varieties, characterized by a red color and incised designs. One notable shape is the dish-on-stand.

Three Cultural Phases:

• Period I: Dominated by hunting and gathering activities, with the presence of microliths (small stone tools).
• Period II: Marked by the beginning of metallurgy, particularly with copper. Evidence includes circular huts, microliths, and animal bones.
• Period III: Characterized by the discovery of numerous copper objects, indicating a copper working center. There is a reduction in microliths and animal bones during this period.

Contact with Harappan Culture:

• The presence of Harappan pottery and double spiral pins suggests a postulated contact between the Ganeshwar culture and the Harappan civilization.

Atranjikhera

• Location: Etah district in Uttar Pradesh, India.
• Cultural Significance: This site is associated with the Eastern Zone Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) culture. It is also known for black and red ware.
• Housing: The people lived in wattle and daub houses, a traditional form of construction using woven wooden strips and mud.
• Artefacts: The site has yielded various artefacts, including fragments of querns and pestles made from sandstone and quartzite, terracotta pieces, and worn-out brick-bats.
• Pottery: The OCP pottery found here is of ochre and dull red colours, with both fine and coarse fabric. Some pottery exhibits incised designs and black painting over a fine slipped base.
• Agriculture: The presence of rice, barley, gram, and khesari suggests that the people at this site were able to grow two crops a year.

Lalqila

• This site is part of the Eastern Zone Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) culture and is one of the largest settlements associated with this culture.
• Archaeologists found both rectangular and circular huts, with evidence of postholes indicating where wooden supports were placed.
• Fire pits were discovered containing charred bones, along with a rich variety of animal and plant remains.
• Terracotta figurines were also found, including two unique female figurines.
• Among the artifacts, five copper objects were notable: two pendants, one bead, an arrowhead, and a broken celt (a type of tool).
• Pottery from the site included a vase decorated with a semi-naturalistic depiction of a humped bull, characterized by long, curved bones.
• The crops cultivated in the area included wheat, barley, and rice, with evidence of two crop cycles per year.

Koldihwa

In Allahabad district, Uttar Pradesh, evidence of human activity from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Iron Age periods has been found.

• Neolithic to Iron Age: Remains of rice and impressions of rice husk in burnt clay, along with stone blades, polished stone celts, microliths, querns, mullers, and bone tools.
• Pottery: Handmade, cord-marked pottery, and Black Red Ware (BRW).
• Chalcolithic Period: Introduction of wheel-made pottery, BRW, and evidence of mud floors, post holes, and wattle-and-daub houses. Toolkits included copper, bone, and stone tools, along with microlithic tools, copper beads, bone tools, semi-precious stone beads, ring stones, and terracotta objects.

Saipai

• Tools and Artifacts: Found sandstone pounders, querns, and pestles.
• Animal Remains: Discovered bones of domesticated cattle ( Bos indicus ).
• Metal Objects: Found a hooked spearhead and harpoon made of copper, indicating Chalcolithic period.
• Pottery Characteristics: In Eastern Zone OCP sites, pottery is marked by the absence of basin with beaded rim, dish-on stand, and flask.

Chirand

• Saran district, Bihar has evidence of Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Iron Age settlements.
• During the Neolithic period, which predates 2500 B.C., people practiced agriculture with crops like wheat, rice, mung, masur, and peas.
• Agricultural tools were made of stone and bone, with bone tools being a special feature.
• Hunting was also practiced, as indicated by the presence of bones from both domesticated and wild animals.
• People lived in circular, wattle and daub huts. Microliths, small stone tools, have also been found.
• Pottery from this period includes hand-made red ware and black and red ware (BRW), often decorated with post-firing paintings.
• The Chalcolithic culture around 1600 BCE is marked by BRW pottery.
• This period is divided into two phases: the first without iron and the second with iron but without Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW).
• The later period shows the emergence of NBPW culture.

Narhan

• Location: Northern bank of the Sarayu River.
• Habitation: Wattle-and-daub houses with post-holes and hearths.
• Pottery: White painted black and red ware.
• Artefacts:
  • Bone points
  • Pottery discs
  • Beads made of glass, agate, and terracotta
  • Bone and terracotta dice
  • Glass bangles
  • Terracotta female and animal figurines
  • Polished stone axe
• Copper Objects: Ring and fishhook made of low tin bronze, indicating knowledge of alloying, annealing, and casting.
• Agriculture:
  • Crops: Rice, wheat, pea, gram, khesari, oilseeds
  • Fruits and Trees: Jackfruit, sal, teak, tulsi, mango, bamboo
• Animal Remains: Humped cattle, sheep, goat, antelope, horse, and fish.
• Fishhook: Made of iron with a string of ramie fiber, a water-resistant material.

Imlidih

• Two fold Cultural sequence, pre- Nahan culture and Nahan Culture is Chalcolithic dating 1300 B.C. – 800 B.C.
• Settlement- Two successive mud floors with several post- holes and oven.
• Pottery– White painted black and red ware (BRW).
• Copper object, included a ring and fishhook made of low tin bronze. This shows people knew alloying, annealing and casting.
• Crop remains – Wheat, barley, rice, green gram, chickpea and Kesari, mustard oilseeds found (Two crops/year). This show agriculture was main occupation.
• Animal remains – humped cattle, sheep, goat, antelope, horse and fish.

Pandu Rajar Dhibi

In the Burdwan district of West Bengal,. Neolithic and Chalcolithic site has been discovered, marking the first Chalcolithic culture found in the region. The site reveals the presence of microliths, ground stone tools, bone tools, and pottery. During the Chalcolithic period, there were a few copper artifacts, beads made from semi-precious stones, terracotta figurines, iron spearheads and points, slag, and ovens. Iron artifacts have also been found at Chalcolithic levels. The pottery mainly consisted of Black and Red Ware (BRW). Animal bones found at the site include those of domesticated cattle, buffalo, goat, and deer.

Golbai Sasan

Location and Time Period:

• Situated on the left bank of the Mandakani River in the Puri district of Odisha.
• Dates back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.

Neolithic Period Findings:

• Post-holes: Indications of ancient structures.
• Pottery: Red and grey handmade pottery with cord impressions.
• Tools: Bone tools, including weapons and ornaments.

Chalcolithic Period Findings:

• Huts: Circular huts with hearths and post holes.
• Pottery: Both handmade and wheel-made pottery, including Black Red Ware (BRW).
• Artefacts: Copper and bone artefacts, including weapons and ornaments.

Agriculture and Animal Remains:

• Crops: Rice, moong (green gram), and kulthi (horse gram).
• Animal Bones: Remains of cattle, goat, deer, and elephant.

Tools and Figurines:

• Stone Tools: Polished stone tools such as axes, adzes, and shouldered celts.
• Figurine:. human figurine was discovered.

Brahmagiri

• Wattle-and-daub huts: These are traditional types of huts made from a framework of wooden posts and branches, filled in with a mixture of mud, clay, or straw. Evidence of their construction is seen through post holes found at the site.
• Stone tools: Polished stone tools and microlithic blades were discovered, indicating advanced tool-making skills. Microlithic blades are small, often geometric, stone tools that were likely used for various purposes, including hunting and gathering.
• Pottery: Handmade grey pottery suggests a developed pottery tradition. The grey color often comes from specific firing techniques and clay used.
• Copper-bronze objects: Later periods saw the introduction of copper and bronze objects, indicating advancements in metalworking and trade.

• Burials: Different burial practices were observed, including:

  • Extended burials of adults, where the body is laid out straight, possibly indicating a specific cultural or ritual significance.
  • Urn burials of children, where the remains are placed in an urn, suggesting a different approach to burial based on age.
• Megalithic monuments: These large stone structures from the later period indicate complex social structures and possibly ritualistic practices.
• Agriculture and animal domestication: The evidence points to a lifestyle based on agriculture and the domestication of animals, which is a significant aspect of Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures.
• Draft animals: The use of draft animals suggests advancements in agriculture, allowing for more efficient farming practices.
• Ashokan edicts: These inscriptions mark the southernmost extent of the Mauryan Empire, indicating the significance of the site during this historical period.

Hallur

Haveri District, Karnataka: Early Settlements and Archaeological Findings

• Neolithic-Chalcolithic and Megalithic Site: Evidence of early human activity during the Neolithic-Chalcolithic and Megalithic periods.
• Earliest Use of Iron: Sites like Piklihal and Hallur show the early use of iron in South India.
• Tools:
  • Polished tools and microlith blades indicative of advanced tool-making.
  • Chalcolithic blade tools, copper axes, and fish hooks found, showcasing the transition to the Iron Age.
• Ornaments: Ornaments made of carnelian, ceramic, and gold discovered, reflecting early craftsmanship.
• Burial Practices: Ash-mounds and double urn burials found, indicating specific burial customs.
• Agriculture: Evidence of agriculture with crops like millet, horse gram, and green gram.
• Pottery:
  • Early Phase: Handmade and grey ware pottery.
  • Later Phase: Wheel-made pottery, including Black and Red Ware (BRW).
• Herding: Evidence of herding activities with cattle, sheep, and goats. Animal bones of cattle, sheep, goat, and horse found, suggesting domestication.
• Habitation:
  • Circular floors made of stone chips and river sand found in habitation sites.
  • Wattle and daub huts indicated, along with post holes.
  • One house with a circular fireplace, ash, and charcoal found, suggesting cooking activities.

Sanganakallu

• Earlier Neolithic Phase: A-ceramic, handmade pottery without copper.
• Later Phase: Introduction of copper tools and wheel-made pottery.
• Pottery Types: Black Red Ware (BRW), grey, brown wares, and black pottery present in both phases.
• Tools and Artefacts: Polished stone tools, celts, blades, microliths, bone points, chisels, and copper and bronze artefacts found.
• Terracotta Figurines: Figurines of bulls and birds discovered.
• Animal Bones: Remains of cattle, sheep, goat, and dog identified.
• Habitation Evidence: Round wattle-and-daub huts suggested as dwellings.

Maski

• Neolithic-Chalcolithic and Megalithic cultures.
• Minor Rock Edict of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka found.
• First edict of Emperor Ashoka that contained the name Ashoka.

Artefacts:

• Polished stone tools, microlithic blades, and copper rod.
• Beads of carnelian, agate, chalcedony, shell, coral, glass, and paste.

Pottery:

• Red ware
• BRW
• Incised designs on some pottery.
• Animal bones found.
• Rock paintings found.

Subsistence base:

• agriculture,
• animal domestication,
• hunting.

Piklihal

• Neolithic-Chalcolithic site: Early settlement period characterized by the use of stone and metal tools.
• Earliest use of iron in South India: Notable sites like Piklihal and Hallur show the initial use of iron in this region.
• Habitation: Evidence of circular huts and wattle-and-daub huts, indicating different types of dwelling structures.
• Tools: Discovery of Neolithic tools and microlithic blades, showcasing the advanced tool-making skills of the inhabitants.
• Pottery: Variety of pottery including handmade and wheel-made items, with grey wares, black and red wares, and some with paintings.
• Terracotta figurines: Figurines of humans, animals, and birds found, reflecting the artistic skills and cultural practices.
• Animal bones: Bones of domesticated cattle, goats, and sheep discovered, indicating animal husbandry practices.
• Beads: Beads made from carnelian and shell, along with fine disc beads obtained from the Harappans, highlighting trade links.
• Rock paintings: Evidence of rock paintings found, adding to the cultural and artistic heritage of the region.

Inamgaon

• The site is located in Pune district, Maharashtra.
• It is a Post-Harappan Chalcolithic site with multiple cultural phases, including the Jorwe culture and Malwa Culture.

Early Chalcolithic Habitation:

• Houses were made of mud and circular in shape.
• Storage pits were used for keeping food and other items.
• The largest house, consisting of five rooms, belonged to the ruling chief.
• A granary was present for storing grains.

Later Chalcolithic Habitation:

• A fortified wall was built around the settled area for protection.

Pottery:

• Pottery from this site was characterized by red clay with black designs.

Artefacts:

• Stone tools were used for cutting plants and meat.
• A few copper tools and ornaments were found.
• Ornaments included beads, bangles, and anklets, with some made of gold.
• Tools and weapons such as drills, fish hooks, and arrowheads were also found.
• Beads were made of terracotta, semi-precious stones, ivory, and sea shells.
• Terracotta figurines included toys, bulls, and female goddesses.
• There was evidence of trade with other parts of the country.

Agriculture:

• Crops grown included wheat, barley, lentils, peas, gram, and beans.
• Bones of wild and domesticated animals were found, indicating hunting and animal husbandry.

Jorwe

• Settlement: Large rectangular houses with wattle and daub walls and thatched roofs.
• Economy: Agriculture, animal herding, hunting, and fishing.
• Agricultural Practice: Crop rotation.
• Burial Practice: Buried dead inside the house with head towards north.
• Pottery: Black painted pottery.
• Ornaments: Bangles found.

Daimabad

Location: Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, on the banks of the river Pravara.
Cultural Phases: 1. Chalcolithic Phase 2. Late Harappan Phase

Periods: 1. Period I: Savalda Culture 2. Period II: Late Harappan Culture 3. Period III: Daimabad Culture 4. Period IV: Malwa Culture 5. Period V: Jorwe Culture

Late Harappan Findings:

• Pottery: Fine red ware featuring linear and geometric designs in black.
• Seals: Seals with Harappan writing and inscribed potsherds.
• Tools: Microlithic blades, stone and terracotta beads, shell bangles, gold beads, and a terracotta measuring scale.
• Copper: Smelted locally.
• Agriculture: Cultivated crops included millets, gram, moong, and horse gram.

Daimabad Culture Findings:

• Pottery: Black-on-buff or cream ware.
• Copper-Smelting: Evidence of a copper-smelting furnace.
• Burial Practices: Three different types of burials were identified: a pit burial, urn burial, and symbolic burial.
• Agriculture: Similar crops to the Late Harappan phase, with the addition of hyacinth.
• Burials: Most burials were of infants and young people, except for one burial belonging to the Late Harappan phase.

Nevasa

• Location: Nevasa is situated in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India.
• Archaeological Significance: The site is known for its paleolithic and chalcolithic remains, indicating human activity during these prehistoric periods.
• Factory Site Evidence: There is evidence suggesting that Nevasa was a factory site during the middle paleolithic period.
• Nevasan Industry: The middle paleolithic industry of central and peninsular India is sometimes called the Nevasan industry, named after this site.
• Tools Found:. variety of tools have been found at Nevasa, including scrapers made from materials like agate, jasper, and chalcedony.

Chalcolithic Phase:

• Pottery: The pottery from this phase is characterized by painted black and red designs.
• Tools: Copper tools have been discovered, indicating the use of metal during this period.
• Houses: The houses during the chalcolithic phase at Nevasa had walls made of bamboo and mud, with rammed earth floors, thatched roofs, and post holes for support.
• Lifestyle: The people at Nevasa likely had a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving between different areas while maintaining some permanent structures.

Rangpur

• Location: Surendranagar district, Saurashtra, Gujarat
• Archaeological Phases: Chalcolithic and Harappan phases identified, including Mature, Late, and Post-Harappan phases.
• Housing: Well-built houses made of mud bricks, with lime used as a binding medium.
• Pottery: Lustrous red ware characterized by a glossy surface.
• Artifacts: Includes dishes with beaded rims, painted black and red ware, and high-necked jars. Evidence of shell working also found.
• Agriculture: Evidence of crops such as bajra (pearl millet), rice, and millet.
• Trade: Evidence of trade with the western world.

Prabhas Patan

Junagadh district, Gujarat:

• Chalcolithic and Late Harappan period
• Pottery: Lustrous red ware with a glossy surface
• Rectangular houses built on soft stone
• Warehouse: Constructed from stone blocks using mud mortar, divided into smaller compartments
• Artefacts: Includes steatite seal amulet, chert blades, copper objects, beads of chalcedony, carnelian, and agate, and a gold ear ornament
• NBPW: Marks the beginning of the early historical phase in Gujarat
• Trade with the western world: Evidence of Mediterranean amphorae and terra sigillata found

Mehrgarh

• The site is located in Baluchistan, Pakistan, and dates back to the Neolithic and Calcolithic periods.
• During the Neolithic period, it was a small farming and pastoralist village with planned ancient farm villages.
• The houses were initially made of mud bricks and later sun-dried bricks.
• Tools were made from bone, and there was no pottery (a-ceramic).
• This site is considered a precursor to the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) and was later abandoned with the urbanization of Harappa.
• It is one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming (wheat and barley), herding, and metallurgy.
• The site also shows evidence of one of the earliest cultivation of cotton, fishing, and unique discoveries of dental surgery and related medicinal activities.
• Figurines made of terracotta were also found at the site.