Microlithic Assemblage of Chorkhambara River in Maharashtra, with Special Reference to Malli Excavation Season

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1 Microlithic Assemblage of Chorkhambara River in Maharashtra, with Special Reference to Malli Excavation Season Tosabanta Padhan 1, Garima Khansili 2 and Virag G. Sontakke 3 1. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, Punjab , India ( tpadhan@gmail.com) 2. Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed to be University, Pune , Maharashtra, India ( k.garima79@gmail.com) 3. State Department of Archaeology, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India ( Received: 17 July 2017; Revised: 20 September 2017; Accepted: 02 November 2017 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5 (2017): Abstract: This paper is based on the findings and analysis of microlithics from an excavated site Malli located on the Chorkhambara River, a small tributary of Wainganga river system in in eastern Vidharbha region of District Gondia, Maharashtra. The Microlithic layer is consist of 20 cm thick. Excavations yielded 951 artifacts and from surface 508 artifacts collected for detailed analysis. The microliths were found associated with calcrete; suggest a chronology of late Pleistocene periods. Keywords: Malli, Excavation, Maharashtra, India, Late Pleistocene, Microliths, Lithic Technology Introduction Microliths are conventionally taken as the hallmark of Mesolithic Culture and their existence in Indian subcontinent was thought to be not later than Holocene (12000 B.P.). But various dates have now shaken this convention and has pushed back its antiquity to late Pleistocene with the dates like 45 ka from Mehtakheri in Madhya Pradesh (Mishra et. al. 2013), 42 ka from Kana and ka from Mahadebbera, both in West Bengal (Basak et. al. 2014), 38 Ka from Chandresal, 36 Ka from Nagda, again both in Rajasthan (Kumar 1988), 25 Ka from Patne in Maharashtra (Sali 1989), 25 Ka from Belan Valley Koldiwal in Uttar Pradesh (Williams and Clark 1995), 17 Ka from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh (Nambi and Murthy 1983) among dozens of other dates. These dates clearly indicate that hominin making microliths were present throughout the Indian subcontinent towards the end of late Pleistocene. Studies on various aspects of microliths have been carried out from the time of its first discovery by A.C.L Carlleyle in Kaimur Hill ranges of district Mirzapur in Uttar

2 Padhan et al. 2017: Pradesh as early as (Misra 2002). Among all, the Holocene Microliths (Mesolithic, Harappan and Chalcolithic) are the most extensively studied, with range of investigations varying from their settlement pattern, subsistence pattern, burial practices, skeletal remains and chronological development based on typology among others. A few Holocene sites namely are; Langhnaj 2040 ±108 (Misra 2002), Bagor 6,245 ± 200 B.P. (Misra, 1973), Sarai Nahar Rai 8100 ± 110 B.C (Sharma, 1973), Adamgarh 7240 ± 125 B.P. (Agrawal and Kusumgar 1968) and Bhimbetka 7,790 B.P. (Misra 2002) among others. Works related to microlithic technologies have begun but they are so far mostly confined to microliths dated to Holocene and have brought to light valuable information about the technology behind lithic tools. Microliths are the most abundantly found archaeological material in Indian subcontinent today. They are mostly found on surface and thus their occurrences in stratified contexts are much sought after. The site Malli is important in this regard as it offers a microlithic occupation below the Iron Age level in the stratified context. This paper deals with the analysis of microlithic assemblage found during excavation at the site and those found on surface during explorations along the river Chorkhambara in Gondia District of Maharashtra. A comparative study of the two is being presented here in this paper. Geology and Geomorphology Upper Wainganga valley forms part of Wardha Wainganga basin which is part of the Vidarbha Plain in central India (Singh 1971). The entire Upper Wainganga region is drained by a network of Wainganga river and its first, second and third order tributaries which together constitute the fluvial system of this region (Dixit 1986). The region is part of North eastern Deccan trap; as a result, various siliceous and cryptocrystalline stones are abundantly available. Geomorphologically the area has high and low lying hills with occasional hillocks, outcrops, rocky and undulating landscapes. Average elevation range between 300 to 200 AMSL which is the suitable habitat for several varieties of plants and animal life. Geographically the location of the site is very crucial for the prehistoric and protohistoric population as the area has large forested land and enough plant and animal food and raw material resources. Site Malli (N 21 19ʹ.221ʺ E 79 54ʹ.249ʺ) located on the left bank of Chorkhambara River (tributary of Wainganga drainage system) in eastern Vidharbha region of District Gondia, Maharashtra is a Megalithic burial cum habitational site spread over 1 km (Figure 1). Interestingly, the site has also yielded evidences of Microliths in stratified context from one of the excavated Localites (Mound B). Thus, to understand the microlithic horizon better exploration along the Chorkhambara river was undertaken which resulted into five new microlith bearing localities and one rock art site. The site Malli was reported by Virag G. Sontakke and owing to its potential it was later brought 529

3 ISSN Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5: 2017 under excavated by him and Dr. Anand V. Bhoyar of State Department of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra, Nagpur division during the field seasons of and In all 396 megalithic burials and 5 habitational mounds were discovered by the 3 rd Author. Burials were found on southern edge of the present village of Malli while habitation mounds were reported opposite burial grounds in its northern horizon. Owing to its vast extent and typological variations the entire site is divided into four burial localities; viz. 1,2,3,4 and five habitational mounds; viz. A, B, C, D, E (Sontakke 2015). Figure 1: Map Showing Location of Malli in India Map Among the two excavated habitational mounds A and B, microliths were reported only from the lowest habitational strata of Mound B. While no trace of any microlithic activity was found at Mound A. Earlier Joshi (1966) has worked in the Wainganga basin and divided the gravel deposit into Wainganga A and Wainganga B. He found Gravel 1 to be associated with Middle 530

4 Padhan et al. 2017: Palaeolithic and called it Wainganga A, while gravel II represented by Upper Palaeolithic was assigned the term Wainganga B. Later, Sali (1990) made a remark that the Upper Palaeolithic artefacts of this region were made on chert and the artefact types were flake blade, borer and burin. A Trench Showing Microlithic Horizon B Sieving for Collection of Microliths C Malli Microlithic Locality I D Satna Microlithic Locality Figure 2: Site Excavation (A and B) and Microlithic localities (C and D) Method of Collection, Classification and Analysis In excavation the entire bulk deposit consisting microliths was dry sieved using a 2 mm sieve (Figure 2: B). Later, all the artefacts were washed with water and then sorted. We have used the conventional classification criteria as has been followed by scholars in the past. However, Separate attributes for Blades, Flakes and Cores were recorded as per the peculiarities of the artefact. Length, breadth, thickness and weight are common attributes for all artefacts. After microliths were found in excavation at the lowest strata of mound B, area around the site was extensively surveyed to find surface occurrence of microliths to broaden our understanding. During exploration five new microlithic localities were found and material collected from them is being compared with the excavated assemblage from the site Malli. Below we have represented the data from both excavation as well as exploration. Note on Occurrence of Microliths during Excavation at the Site Malli and in Its Surrounding Region In Excavation: Mound B of the habitation area has provided evidence of microliths in the stratified context, below the early Iron Age levels forming an occupational deposit 531

5 ISSN Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5: 2017 of 20 cm occurring 1.2 meters below the surface. The mound has a cultural deposit of 2.65 m divisible into 10 layers; where, layers 1 6 belong to Early Iron Age and layers 7 10 to Microliths. In order to understand the microlithic sequence in the trench 1.5 X 1.5 meter quadrant in the center of the trench was taken upto natural soil (Figure 3). Figure 3: Stratigraphy; Schematic drawing of the Trench B Section facing North Table 1: Lithic Assemblages from Excavation: Tools Types Tool Types Number of Specimens Percentage Core Flake Flake Blade Utilized Flake Blade Microblade Backed Blade Retouched Blade Lunate Trapeze Scraper End Scraper Core Scraper Retouched Point Point Backed Point Debitage Chips Total Total 951 artefacts were collected from the excavation (Table 1) that belongs to different stages of chaineoperatoire. Within the microlithic assemblages, different series of artefacts starting from the raw materials nodules to finished tiny backed tools were found. Chalcedony was the most used raw material followed by agate and chert. The 532

6 Padhan et al. 2017: excavated lithic assemblage is classified into core (1.68%), flake (16.72 %), flake blade (18.61%), utilized flakes (0.11 %), backed blade (1.26 %), backed point (0.11 %), simpleblade(6.62%), micro blade (0.42 %), core scrapper (0.21 %), end scrapper (0.11%), lunate (0.53 %), points (0.21%), retouched blade (2.42 %), retouched point (0.21 %), scrapper (0.21 %), trapeze (0.11 %), and debitage (19.66 %) and chips (30.91%). In Exploration: Microliths were collected from various localities (Table 2) within the site as well as from the surrounding areas. Table 2: Discovered Microlithic Localities Site Name District Geo Coordinates Context Cultural Remains Mali Loc 1 Gondia 21 19ʹ32.03ʺN; 79 54ʹ6.69ʺE In stratified context; excavation Early Iron age remains on top and Microliths Mali Loc 2 Gondia 21 19ʹ12.13ʺN; Pedimented surface Microliths 79 54ʹ16.35ʺE Mali Loc 3 Gondia 21 19ʹ50.13ʺN; 79 54ʹ8.83ʺE Chorkhambra river bank, on surface Microliths Mali Loc 4 Gondia 21 18ʹ52.94ʺN; Near Hillock, on Microliths 79 54ʹ16.33ʺE Surface Satna Gondia _ On pedimented surface near a small stream Microliths Technologically, lithic assemblages found in the explorations (Table 3) are very similar to those of found in excavated context. Except, Microliths that are found from the site Satna appears to be older than microliths collected from the site Malli and other microlithic localities around it. Table 3: Lithic Assemblages from Exploration: Tools Types Tool Types Number of Specimens Percentage Blade Blade Flake Flake Core Core Rejuvenation Flake End Scraper Side Scraper Tanged Point Raw Material Nodule Trimmed Nodule Chips Total

7 ISSN Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5: 2017 The artefact types consist of Blade (3.94%), Blade flake (3.15%), Flake (67.13%), core (1.57%), core rejuvenation flake (2.56%), end scraper (0.20%), Side Scrapper (0.20%), Tanged Points (0.20%), Raw material nodules (0.98%), Trimmed nodules (5.90%) and Chips (14.17%). Within the blade there are three other types of blade tools were found among them only one micro blade, four backed blades and two truncated blades. In the blade assemblage, 25% blades were found broken. Exploration material also shows that locally available siliceous raw material like chert, chalcedony, agate and jasper were utilised. Number of tools found in chalcedony is about 90% followed by banded agate, chert and then jasper. 534 Figure 4: Blade and Flake Cores

8 Padhan et al. 2017: Blade Core: In all 24 cores were found from both surface as well as excavation (Figure 4).The cores are made from the river pebble and inter trappean nodules. The river pebbles were initially split into two and then cortex was removed in order to prepare the core for blade removal. All the cores are found to be highly exhausted. The core length varies between mm with average length of mm. Core breadth is found to be between mm with 19.28mm as their average. However, thickness of the core varies from mm with an average thickness of 15.1mm (Table 4). Figure 5: Blade and Retouched Blade 535

9 ISSN Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5: 2017 Table 4: Measurements of Micolithic Assemblage from Explorations Types of Tools Length Width Thickness Min. Max. Avg. Min. Max. Avg. Min. Max. Avg. Core Blade Retouched Blade Backed blade Lunate Figure 6: Backed Blade Tools

10 Padhan et al. 2017: Figure 7: Blade, Flake and Core Tools Blade and Blade Tool: Blades are the major tool component found in the excavated lithic assemblage numbering 101; however only 20 blades were found at the time of exploration (Figure 5). Different types of blades such as simple or unmodified, retouched and backed were classified in the collection. Blade length varies between 537

11 ISSN Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5: mm with an average length of mm. Breadth of the blades are found to range between mm with an average size of 7.42 mm(table 4). The thickness ranges between mm with an average of 2.15 mm. Microlithic tools in the collection are made either on flake, blade or cores (Figure 7). From the explored Microlithic localities a number of different microlith types are reported; such as points; backed points, tanged points, side scrapper, end scrapper, side end scrapper and core scrapper. Types of blade tools consist of lunates and backed blades mostly. These tools also show signs of use wear (Figure 6). The figure 8 clearly showing that the primary core types are bigger in size and the blade removed from the core are smaller in size. If we observed the length of blade tool types after modification gradually their sizes are reducing (Figure 8). This suggests that the blades and cores found in the site belong to the same lithic assemblages and possibly preserved in the primary context. Because of reduction sequence length of artefacts are decreasing as modified according to the desire shape and size. However, if we observe width and thickness of the core, their sizes are bigger because after removal of the blade the cores were discarded and they remain bigger in size Core Blade Retouched Blade Back blade Lunate 5 0 Length Width Thickness 538 Figure 8: Chat Showing size of Microlithic Tools Discussion The Microlithic assemblage of Malli is both non geometric and geometric but devoid of pottery, along with tool types that are unanimously blade based. In excavation, microlithic bearing horizon (layers: 7 10) was associated with calcrete. The microlithic layers were immediately capped by river gravels which indicate that the site belongs to late Pleistocene dry phase and later on it was superseded by a wetter climate. The Microlithic bearing horizon of 20 cm in the excavation does not show any significant technological or typological change from top to bottom.

12 Padhan et al. 2017: Variety of cores represented in the assemblage (pyramidal, conical and cylindrical) indicates diversity in core management. The cores were found to be well prepared before blades were being detached. Numerous small sized river pebbles (1 4 cm) with battering marks show that they were being used as hammers and thus indicate towards direct percussion technique. While numerous number of microlithic sites have been found in Maharashtra, few prehistoric researches have been carried out in this region therefore it was difficult to compare our site or assemblage with any other assemblage from the region. During exploration it was observed that Chorkhambara river was thickly populated by the Upper Palaeolithic Mesolithic times. Thus further investigations in the area could provide promising results and give a good insight into the microlithic sequence of Wainganga basin in the Vidarbha region. Acknowledgements We thank the Archaeological survey of India for giving us permission to conduct the exploration and excavation and Maharashtra State Archaeology Department Nagpur branch for funding. The project could not be possible without the people of Malli village, we thank them for extending their full support during excavation. Thanks to Prof R.K. Mohanty for guiding us for field methodology as well as accompanying us during explorations. Thanks to Dhanraj, Pramod, Sobhna Meshram, Saili, Pranjali Waghmare and Kailash Yede for assisting us in the excavation. References Agrawal, D.P. and Kusumgar, Sheela Tata Institute Radiocarbon List V. Radiocarbon. Vol.10. page: Basak, B. Srivastava, P. Dasgupta, S. Kumar, A. Rajaguru, S. N Earliest dates and implications of Microlithic industries of Late Pleistocene from Mahadebbera and Kana, Purulia district, West Bengal. Current Science (107): Dixit, K.R Maharashtra in Maps. Mumbai: Maharashtra State Board for literature and Culture. Joshi, R. V Stone Age Industries in the Upper Wainganga Basin, Maharashtra State, Proceeding of 48 th India Science Congress Part III: 447. Joshi, R.V Middle Stone Age in India ATTI del VI Congresso Internazionale Delle Kumar G Ostrich Eggshell and Prehistoric Man: Some more evidences from Chambal Valley. In: Ghosh NC, and Chakrabarti S, editors. Adaptation and other Essays. Shantiniketan: Viswa Bharti. P Mandal, D A Note on the Radiocarbon Dates from the Middle Son Valley. In G.R. Sharma and J.D. Clark (eds.), Palaeoenvironments and Prehistory in the Middle Son Valley, pp Allahabad: Abinash Prakashan. Mishra S., Chauhan N., Singhvi A.K Continuity of Microblade Technology in the Indian Subcontinent Since 45 ka Implications for the Dispersal of Modern Humans. PLos ONE 8(7): e Doi: /journal.pone

13 ISSN Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5: 2017 Mishra, S Chronology of the Indian Stone Age: the Impact of Recent Absolute and Relative Dating Attempts. Man and Environment XX (2): pp Misra, V.N Bagor A late Mesolithic Settlement in North West India. World Archaeology.Vol. 5. No. 1 pp Misra, V.N Mesolithic Culture in India A Keynote in Mesolithic India. InMisra,V. D.and Pal, J.N. (eds.) pp Nambi, K.V.S. and M.L.K. Murthy An Upper Palaeolithic Fireplace in the Kurnool Caves Bulletin of the Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute 42: Sali, S. A Stone Age India, Aurangaband: Sankar Publishers. Sali, S.A The Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Cultures of Maharashstra. Pune: Deccan College. Sciences Prehistoriche Protohistoriche Rome pp Sharma, G.R Mesolithic Lake Cultures in Ganga Valley.Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society for Vol. 39 pp Singh, R.L India: A Regional Geography. Varanasi: National Geographical Society of India. Sontakke, V. G Malli: An Early Iron Age Site, Gondia District, Vidarbha Region, Maharashtra, Man and EnvironmentXL (1): Williams, M.A.J and M.F. Clarke Quaternary geology and prehistoric environments in the Son and Belan Valleys, North Central India. InWadia, S. Kale, V. S. Korisettar, Ravi (eds.), Quaternary Environments and Geoarchaeology of India, pp Bangalore: Geological Society of India Memoir