Archaeologists have found remains of a sedentary village settlement possibly dating back to the Iron Age in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, in the western peninsular region of India. The site is chronologically placed between 7th and 4th century BCE.
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| View of the excavated area showing circular houses [Credit: ASI] |
The excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Phupgaon, a region in the Amravati district, has unraveled house remains and other associated features like hearth, postholes and artefacts.
“The settlement comes under the category of a small village of a small agro-pastoral community with evidence of craftsmanship in the form of beads of agate-carnelian, jasper, quartz and also the usage of other artefacts like hopscotch, wheel and barrel shaped beads,” ASI said in a Tuesday statement.
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| Terracotta figure and other artefacts found at the site [Credit: ASI] |
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| Stone quern, pestle and pounders [Credit: ASI] |
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| Bone tools found at the site [Credit: ASI] |
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| Stone beads found at the site [Credit: ASI] |
Phupgaon, situated in basin of Purna river, a major tributary of Tapi (or Tapti), is said to be a contemporary of other Iron Age settlements of Vidarbha like Naikund, Mahurjhari, Bhagimori and Thakalkat.
The river basin has witnessed archaeological sites ranging from Palaeolithic to late Medieval Period, revealed by antiquities and pottery of those settlements.
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| View showing the depth of habitational remains [Credit: ASI] |
The ASI has said that the excavation at Phupgaon provides key insights into Iron Age people of Purna basin. It is undertaking further study of the site with chronometric dating to reveal more on Vidarbha’s Iron Age.
