The significance is that in the Standard Model of Indian history, civilization in India begins with Mehrgarh, which is to the west of the Indus, and the Gangetic plains civilization only started much later.
Do you know that Uttar Pradesh site of Chopanimando has a pottery earlier than Mehrgarh?
Yes. Chopanimando, located at the Belan river, near confluence of Ganga and Yamuna in its phase of "Advanced Mesolithic" presents "dull red and brown grey wares" (Fuller 2005: 330) at the level also called Chopanimando III (see also Pal 1986). Fragments of this pottery were dated 8080 +- 115 BC with wild rice grains impression (Sharma et al. 1980).
This means that Chopanimando's pottery is more than 2500 years older than Mehrgarh's pottery which starts around 5500 BC.
This comes to support other early pottery dates at UP, like Lahuradewa of 6200 BC, and sites like Baghai Khor, Lekhahi III-IV,
Ghagharia, and Morahana Pahar (Fuller, Ibid.).
Dorian Fuller recognized this antiquity also in a personal communication: "...in other areas like Lahuradewa ceramics have
thousands of years of earlier history, which is also suggested by Chopanimando..." (pers. com. e-mail 22-Feb-2005).
Carlos Aramayo
Historian
La Paz
Bolivia
2009-06-18: Please note Carlos Aramayo's correction in the comments.
Here happened an unfortunate mistake. Revising my archives I can say that what Dorian Fuller mentions is that LAHURADEWA has a very early pottery, around 7th millenium BC based on Rakesh Tewaris excavations, not CHOPANIMANDO. The claim on Chopanimando around 8080 BC must be entirely attributed to Sharma et al. 1980,NOT TO DORIAN FULLER.
ReplyDeleteThe last paragraph should de read as:
Dorian Fuller tends to recognize the antiquity of ceramics in Early Ganga Valley: "...in other areas like Lahuradewa ceramics have thousands of years of earlier history" pers.com. email 22 Feb 2005).
Thanks,
Carlos Aramayo
Historian
La Paz
Bolivia
A recent paper, Tewari, Rakesh et al. 2009."Early Farming at Lahuradewa" in
ReplyDeletePragdhara No. 18, pp. 347-373, regarding excavations at the Neolithic site of
Lahuradewa in Middle Ganga Valley reports a new series of radiocarbon dates from
the earliest layers yielding 8436 BC, 8518 BC, and 8992 BC (Tewari et al. 2009:
358). Until now, it was thought that the settlement was from 7th millennium BC,
so we now could have the earliest Neolithic site, not only in Middle Ganges
region but in whole South Asia, even earlier than Mehrgarh by about 2000 years.
But this paper basically deals with early domestication of rice and definitely
establishes that domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) was present in Lahuradewa's
fields by 7000 BC at least. As Tewari et al found entirely domestic rice around
7th millennium BC, they claim an even earlier period for the process that led to
domestication in Middle Ganga Valley.
Best regards,
Carlos
(Full paper at):
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16655972/Early-Farming-at-Lahurdewa-Ganga-basin