1.26 - India beyond the Indus Civilisation

Summary

Once the Indus civilisation moves out of focus, there is a picture of enormous archaeological diversity all over the Subcontinent; and, given the current state of archaeological research (Chakrabarti 2003), there are also many loose ends. Most of this research is basically post-1947, when Mortimer Wheeler’s earlier (1944–8) spell of work revealed the scope for establishing archaeological sequences all over the Subcontinent.

The Problem of Agricultural Origins outside the Indus Orbit

The problem of agricultural origins outside the Indus orbit is much more complex than simply tracing the beginning of wheat-barley cultivation in Baluchistan and its subsequent spread elsewhere. This is clearly suggested by the discoveries in the Kotumsar and Dandak caves of Bastar (Yadava et al. 2007). Although pottery, tools or hearths could not be identified in the interior of these caves, traces of fire were located on their floors a considerable distance from the cave mouths. Carbon-rich samples yielded a C-14 date range of 4990 to 2080 bce. The identified plant remains show three types of grasses and two types of millets. The grasses include a variety locally called Chenchrus, which is still cultivated in this area as animal fodder, and another variety called Sirwari, whose leaves and tender shoots are still used as food. The identified millets – foxtail millet and another millet of the Setaria group – are still collected in the area as edible foods.