MEGALITHS OF THE GANGETIC VINDHYAN RANGE

by
Subhashis Das

A large area of the Northern Vindhyan range contains fields with countless megalithic burials. The megaliths of The Gangetic Vindhyan range are rare and of unique structures.

It was the then Head of the Archaeological Survey of India Sir Alexander Cunningham who first discovered the megaliths in the region in about 1861. Carlellyle too had discovered a few of these primitive monuments in Mirzapur area at about 1883.

Since then finds of numerous megaliths have been reported from around the region of Allahabad such as Koldihwa, Belan, Tons, Seoti, Chundarighat, Samalipur, Pawari, Majhigawan, Lapari valley, Ayodhya, Kapasi kalan and Gorma valley etc.

The megalithic structures here comprise mounds, stone circles, cairns, cist burials et al.  Many even have enormous capstones. Many sites such as Kotia, Kaithawal, Baghol, Gadha (Tundiari valley) etc have been excavated by the Dept of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad.

The diameters of hundreds of cairns vary from 2.7 mtrs to 3 mtrs, 2.5 mtrs to 10 mtrts, 4 mtrs by 4 mtrs, 4 to 15 mtrs et al. The cists are oval, rectangular and circular in shape. The grave goods reveal potteries, iron objects, beads, bangles along with the skeletal remains.

Various shapes of well baked potteries have been found. Red Wares have been found in abundance apart from Black and Red Ware, Black Slipped Ware, Black Ware, Plain Grey Ware, Black Slipped Grey Ware along with decorated and painted pottery have also been discovered. Traces have been found on the potteries which suggest that the wheels were rotated from both sides. Many potteries have revealed incised motifs such as criss-crosses, waves, zig-zags dots, diamonds, triangles, vertical and horizontal lines etc. Many display similarities with the pottery assemblages of late Harappan and OCP cultures of the North West and Western UP.

As for tools microliths such as blades, points, borers, lunates, parallel sided blades, other than bone arrow heads, beads, terracotta, copper objects, querns and mullers too have been found from the sites. Among the iron implements sickles, spear heads, knives, and iron slags etc have been found. Among the Chaloclithic assemblage cooking vessels pans, karahi, vases etc apart from large storage jars too have been discovered.

The megaliths have been dated back to the Chalcolithic era therefore these monuments could be between 1800 BCE and 700 BCE.

Chances are that these megaliths were the archaeological remains of the various austric Mundari tribals as the region falls on the migratory route of these tribes on their onwards journey towards Jharkhand and Bengal.

References:

Mishra. B.B. Investigations Into The Megalithic Cultures of Allahabad District, UP.

Carlellyle A.C.L. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

Cunninghham, A. report of the ASI Vol1.

Mishra, V.D : Some Aspect of Indian Archaeology

Mishra, V.D & Mishra. B.B: Megalithic cultures of S.E Uttar Pradesh. D.D.Kosambi Commemoration Volume.

Das Subhashis. Sacred Stones in Indian civilization.

©Subhahsis Das