Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

Neolithic Site of Daojali Hading in Assam

Why in the News?

A recent archaeological survey has confirmed that Daojali Hading, located in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, was a Neolithic habitation zone over 2,700 years ago.

About Daojali Hading Neolithic Site:

 

  • Location: It is an important Neolithic archaeological site located in Dima Hasao district, Assam, within the Langting-Mupa Reserve Forest.
  • How old is it: Recent surveys by a multidisciplinary team have confirmed the site as a settled Neolithic habitation zone, over 2,700 years old.
  • Key discoveries:
    • Furnace remains and iron slag, indicating early metallurgical activity.
    • Cord-marked pottery, grinding stones, mortars and pestles, and polished stone tools such as arrowheads, celts, and adzes.
  • Significance: These findings suggest that Daojali Hading was not just a tool-making site, but a functioning settlement where people lived, cooked, crafted tools, and worked with metals.

Neolithic Site of Daojali Hading in Assam

Back2Basics: Neolithic Period in India

  • The Neolithic Age in India began around 7,000 B.C. and lasted until 1,000 B.C. It is the final phase of the Stone Age, following the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Ages.
  • This period is marked by:
    • The beginning of settled agriculture andthe  domestication of animals.
    • Use of polished stone tools like axes, celts, and chisels.
    • Construction of mud and reed houses, sometimes using mud bricks.
    • Introduction of pottery in forms like grey ware, black burnished ware, and mat-impressed ware.
    • A community lifestyle with shared ownership of land and tools.
  • Neolithic people in India grew wheat, barley, rice, cotton, horse gram, and ragi, and domesticated cattle, goats, and sheep.
  • They lived in circular or rectangular houses, near rivers and lakes, and relied on hunting, fishing, and early farming.

Major Neolithic Sites in India:

Region Site Key Features
North-Western India Burzahom (Kashmir) Pit dwellings, stone tools, and animal domestication
Gufkral (Kashmir) Early agriculture and handmade pottery
North India Chirand (Bihar) Polished tools, fishing economy
North-East India Daojali Hading (Assam) Discussed above.
South India Utnur (Andhra Pradesh) Large stone structures, farming tools
Pakistan (Indian Subcontinent) Mehrgarh (Balochistan) Earliest Neolithic site, settled farming, and granaries

 

[UPSC 2021] Question: Consider the following pairs:

Historical place: Well known for

1. Burzahom : Rock cut shrines

2. Chandraketugarh : Terracotta art

3. Ganeshwar: Copper artefacts

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Options: (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 (c) 3 only (d) 2 and 3*

 

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