3200-Year-Old Settlement Hazaribag
Source: Times of India
GS I: Prelims ;
GS I: Indian Heritage and Culture: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times
Overview
- News in Brief
- Key Findings
Why in the News?
The archaeological site in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand has provided evidence of a layered settlement in the Mohane river basin in Chauparan block.
News in Brief
- In villages like Dehar, Sohra, Mangarh, and Hathinder, artefacts have been uncovered during foundation excavation and cultivation.
- Recent archaeological findings indicate that the site was part of an ancient settlement dating back nearly 3,200 years.
- Excavation evidence reveals continuous human habitation across multiple historical periods, including habitation layers, debris zones, and buried structural remains.
Key Findings
- Surveys conducted using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines)
Image used only for representation purpose Dhanbad and Visva-Bharati University
- Identified major subsurface anomalies and buried structures extending over 100 feet in length.
- Archaeologists recovered samples of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW), a distinctive black-glazed pottery associated with the early historic period in South Asia and often linked with the Mahajanapada and Mauryan phases.
- The site has yielded important religious and cultural artefacts, including statues of:
- Gautama Buddha
- Tara
- Avalokiteshvara
- Marichi
- Brahma
- Vishnu
- Mahesh
- Ganesha
Heritage Significance
- A large mound located in Mangarh village has been identified as an ancient Buddhist stupa dating back approximately 2,500–3,000 years.
- Historians and conservationists have urged intervention by the Archaeological Survey of India for scientific excavation, preservation, and heritage protection of the site.
UPSC Relevance
- Ancient Indian History
- Buddhism and Buddhist architecture
- Archaeological techniques (GPR technology)
- Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) culture
- Heritage conservation and role of ASI
- Cultural syncretism in ancient India
Focus Mainly on the UPSC Prelims Point of View.
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