Book

Excavations at Mahagara, 1977-1978: a neolithic settlement in the Belan Valley

Dept. of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad • Allahabad, India • Published In 1980 • Pages: 15, 130 , plates

By: Sharma, G. R. (Govardhan Raj), Mandel, D..

Abstract

This work focuses primarily on the Neolithic site of Mahagara in the Belan Valley, Uttar Pradesh in northeastern India, which was excavated during the period of 1975-1979. Excavations at the site have exposed the plan of a village in conjunction with that of a cattle pen. In addition to the distinctive pottery found at Mahagara represented by cord-impressed rusticated and burnished wares, the site has also yielded rounded celts, microliths, hammer stones, mullers, querns, bones of domesticated animals, and a variety of rice which may be the earliest evidence of rice cultivation known so far (as of the 1970s) in any part of the world (p.vii). Frequent comparisons are made throughout the text to cultural elements found at other Neolithic sites, such as Koldihwa, and with finds at Upper Palaeolilthic and Mesolithic locations in India.

Region

Asia

Sub Region

South Asia

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Archaeologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Notes

G. R. Sharma, D. Mandel

LCSH

India--Antiquities