|
 |
|
 |
|
|
| Archaeological
Excavation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Archaeological
Excavation - Lahuradewa,
district Sant Kabir Nagar.. |
|
| Project Director |
|
• |
Rakesh
Tewari and R.K. Srivastava,
Directorate of Archaeology
Uttar Pradesh, Roshan-ud-daula
Kothi, Lucknow. |
|
|
| Collaboration |
|
• |
K.S.
Saraswat, M.S. Chauhan and
A.K. Pokharia, Birbal Sahni
Institute of Palaeobotany,
Lucknow. |
• |
I.
B. Singh, Department of
Geology, Lucknow University,
Lucknow . |
|
|
| Excavation Team |
|
• |
Ram
Vinay, G.C. Singh, Rajiv
Trivedi, Ram Gopal Mishra,
Balram Krishna, M.M. Dimri
Directorate of Archaeology
Uttar Pradesh, Roshan-ud-daula
Kothi, Lucknow. |
|
|
| Project Phase |
|
|
|
|
| Resaerch Aim and Current Research |
|
Quite
a large number of archaeological
sites of the central Ganga Plain
subjected to excavations in the
last four decades, have revealed
cultural deposits related to the
rice cultivating early farming
communities. On the basis of
several radiocarbon dates and
other considerations earliest
occupation at these sites was
placed between the later half
of the third millennium BC and
about 1500 BC. It may be pointed
out here that as far as Sarayupar
area is concerned no scientific
dates for the antiquity of the
earliest phase of settlement were
available and it was surmised
mainly on other considerations.
Apart from that, due to limited
area available at the lower levels
because of thick habitation deposits,
details of this period could not
be ascertained. Keeping these
facts in view we were in search
of a suitable site preferably
comprising pre-NBPW deposits,
comparable to those of Periods
I to III of Sohgaura and Imlidih,
etc. Our main objectives were
to locate and excavate a site
which may reveal evidences to
ascertain the perspectives of
the commencement of early farming
in the Sarayupar region, the antiquity
of rice cultivating cultures of
the region, interactions between
these early farming cultures with
the contemporary cultures of other
areas, time of introduction of
wheat and barley, two well known
crops of western part of Indian
Subcontinent, in Sarayupar area,
and to understand the habitat
of early settlers of the region. |
|
After
a thorough examination of the
ancient sites of the region, Lahuradewa
(26' 46' N; 82' 57' E) mound
appeared most ideal in this regard.
Its archaeological significance
was well assessed regarding the
further investigations from time
to time. It is in the form of
a mound elevated to a height of
about 4.00 m from the surrounding
levels. A lake surrounds it from
the north, the west and the south.
The ground level of the lake is
rising day by day due to siltation
mainly caused by the agricultural
activity in its dried up northern
and southern portions. The western
portion of the lake still comprises
sufficient water in all the seasons.
During the rainy season the lake
is filled with water completely.
The excess water of the lake spills
over through a nala into the Katnahia
River, which flows about 1.00
to 0.5 km to the west of the lake.
The Katanahia River emerges from
a lake upstream and is a tributary
of the Kuwano, which meets the
Ghaghara River. Originally the
mound of Lahuradewa would have
extended over an area of about
500 m in east - west and about
200 m in north-south directions.
A large portion in the east and
small portions of the peripheral
parts of the mound have been levelled
in order to make agriculture fields.
Antiquarian remains are often
found in the fields during the
boring of the wells and other
activities. Presently the mound
measures about 220 m east west
and 140 m in north-south directions.
The mound, to the west of the
village, is well known because
of a temple 'Samai mai-ka-than'
located on it. The Lahuradewa
village is located about 5 km
south to the Bhujaini Crossing,
which is situated between Basti
and Gorakhpur on National Highway
No. 28, and comes under Khalilabad
tahsil of the newly formed Sant
Kabir Nagar district. |
|
The excavations have been carried
out in two seasons, i.e. 2001-2002
and 2002-2003. A five-fold tentative
culture sequence may be suggested
for the habitation deposits revealed
in the excavation: |
|
• |
Period
V |
Early
Historic (Early centuries
BC/AD) |
• |
Period
IV |
NBPW
Phase |
• |
Period
III |
Advanced
Farming Early Iron Phase |
• |
Period
II |
Developed
Farming Phase |
• |
Period
I |
Early
Farming Phase |
|
|
The outcome of two
seasons excavations has marked
Lahuradewa as the most significant
archaeological site of the Central
Ganga Plain. The site is ideally
located, surrounded by water bodies.
Therefore it seems reasonable
to infer that the availability
of water and well-suited soil
conditions would have been determining
factors for the location. The
available evidences at this site
have shaped our interpretations
about early innovations associated
with the ceramic types and other
artefacts, and also for cereal
domestication and some sort of
cultivation at quite an early
date. Appearance of morphologically
distinct form of rice, comparable
to cultivated Oryza sativa, from
the deposits dated to around sixth-fifth
millennium BC on the basis of
radiocarbon dates, is noteworthy
for deciphering an early beginning
of agriculture. The cultivated
type of rice is a culmination
due to manipulations by hunter-gatherers
living in this area for thousands
of years prior to the early farming
communities. There is a strong
possibility that people have been
living in Gana Plain since late
Palaeolithic and interacted with
the communities living in Vindhyas,
Himalayas and other areas. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
