Ancient Civilisation in Maharashtra

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Mains (GS-I)- Indian Heritage and Culture

Why in News?

Recently, Nagpur University researchers have unearthed a potentially 3,000-year-old Iron Age civilization in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

• Prime site of excavation – It was a mound that produced a cultural deposit measuring around 8.73 meters in thickness, indicating a multi-period and extensive occupation.

In archaeology, mounds commonly describe zones of long human settlement, in which soil and rubbish of a cultural nature accumulate over centuries or millennia.

• Findings – It revealed a multi-layered settlement with distinct cultural periods.

• Architectural observation - Remains of round houses, a feature commonly used by early agrarian and tribal communities.
• The houses featured limestone floors, which indicate some planning and stability in building.
• Wooden posts has been inserted around the perimeter of the houses, probably to frame organic material roofs such as thatch and wood.
• There was a house plan with a chulha or mud oven suggesting that there was a dedicated cooking space in the house.
• Artefacts findings – Different styles and textures of pottery.
• Iron tools, beads made of semi-precious stones, terracotta beads and bone artifacts were also found.
• Significance – It offer insights into the daily lives and technological advancements of the ancient inhabitants.
• Excavated artefacts reveal that they were also involved in craft, trade, and perhaps ritualistic practices.
• The findings of beads can be seen to reflect involvement in broader trading circles or cultural exchange with the outside world.
• Future prospects – Organic samples were sent to the Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in New Delhi to reach a correct timeline.
• Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating, a highly precise technique employed to estimate the age of ancient materials by measuring carbon isotope decay, will be carried out by the IUAC.

Reference

Times of India| Discovery of Multi-cultural Settlement in Maharashtra