A group of archaeologists has identified extensive cultivation in the semi-arid regions of Vidarbha in Maharashtra. It was dominated by rice, some 3,000 years ago.
Context
A group of archaeologists has identified extensive cultivation in the semi-arid regions of Vidarbha in Maharashtra. It was dominated by rice, some 3,000 years ago.
About the key findings
- RithiRanjana, a site near Nagpur district along the banks of river Kanhan, a tributary of Wainganga was explored.
- Earlier, hoe, sickle, and others tools associatedwith the Iron Age were explored from this region of Vidarbha.
- The study gives evidence of double cropping and sequential cultivation in the early Iron Age in this region.
- The excavated cereals are rice, wheat, barley, pulses, pigeon pea, horse gram, green gram along gooseberry and other wild berries.
- Around 56 percent of the total cultivation was rice. The other most commonly cultivated crops were pea (19 percent), green gram (17 percent), barley and lentils (4 percent each), and wheat (about 1 percent).
Iron Age
- Iron Age is recognized as succeeding the Late Harappan culture.
- It is characterized by the Painted Grey Ware culture (1300 to 300 BCE)and Northern Black Polished Ware (700 to 200 BCE).
- This age corresponds to the transition of the Janapadasto the sixteen Mahajanapadas.
Iron Age sites in Maharashtra
- Mahurjhari near Nagpur (bead manufacturing site)
- Phupgaon in the Vidarbha region
- RithiRanjana, a site about 37km northwest of Nagpur district
- Naikund, Mahurjhari, Bhagimori and Thakalkat in the vidharbha region
- The river Purna, a major tributary of the river Tapi
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