NEOLITHIC CULTURE OF VINDHYA HILLS, BELAN AND GANGES RIVER VALLEYS

NEOLITHIC CULTURE OF VINDHYA HILLS, BELAN AND GANGES RIVER VALLEYS

The Belan river valley witnessed one of the earliest Neolithic occupations in India. The river Belan flows at the northern edge of the Vindhyan and the Kaimur hills. This river is a tributary of the river Tons which joins the Ganga near Prayagaraj (UP). This region has a rich environment, since it falls in the monsoon area. It has several wild animals and wild rice species. Transition from food gathering to food production is noticed in this region. The sites of Chopani- Mando, Koldihwa, Lehuradeva and Mahagara in the Ganga valley are the important excavated sites of this region. These sites have given evidence of wattleand- daub houses, post-holes, microlithic tools, querns, pestles and underfired hand-made ceramics. The principal ware is ‘corded ware’ or cord impressed ware which includes bowls and storage jars. The people were engaged in farming and animal husbandry. Bones of cattle, sheep, goat, deer, turtles and fish have also been recovered. At Mahagara, evidence of domesticated rice has been found. This is in the form of carbonised grains as well as rice husks embedded in the pottery.

Evidence of rice cultivation from Neolithic sites of Central India is mired in controversy. While some scholars believe that this evidence from Koldihwa puts it at par with China in terms of chronology, others believe that the dates need to be re-examined. One possibility that has been suggested is that rice cultivation may have travelled along with the migrants from South China to Central India. Some, however, argue that Central India was an independent centre of rice cultivation.

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