Looking for a Tutor Near You?

Post Learning Requirement »
x

Choose Country Code

x

Direction

x

Ask a Question

x

x
x
For better view click here
x
Hire a Tutor
DISCOVER

Mesolithic Culture

Loading...

Published in: Geography
1,529 Views

What is Mesolithic Culture?

Doyel B / Kolkata

12 years of teaching experience

Qualification: M.Sc (University of Calcutta - 2006), Ph.D (University of Calcutta - 2012)

Teaches: Creative Writing Classes, Geography, History, Bengali, Political Science, Social Studies, Japanese

Contact this Tutor
  1. MESOLITHIC CULTURE AT LANGHANAJ- A BRIEF REVIEW In Mehsana district of Gujarat. only a few hundred kilometers south of Bagor, occur several consolidated sand dunes along the western bank of the Sabarmati river, many microlithic sites were discovered and the site of Langhanaj was excavated by H.D Sankalia in 1942.Langhanaj is the first site discovered in the arid zone which demonstrates the development of a Mesolithic culture in close interaction with higher culture. Langhanaj is located some 100 km north of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It is not a solitary site, an oasis, but one of the hundreds in the sandy undulating alluvial plains of northern and central Gujarat. The development of Mesolithic culture in Langhanaj runs parallel in time to the urban culture of Indus system and other more favoured regions. The area received moderate to low rainfall. Thus economically the langhanaj folk were hunter-fishers and nomadic to some extent. They lived in temporary or permanent seasonal camps . Hunting and fishing seem to have been their main occupation. Our knowledge of the subsistence pattern of Mesolithic people of Langhanaj is mainly based on the animal bones. According to Zeuner the animals most commonly represented in the bone record are Indian humped cattle, gazelle, hog deer, nilgai, jackal, fox and rhinoceros were also hunted. The dog was thought to be domesticated, but its very existence is disproved. Some bones had appeared charred but Dr Kave thought that this was due to staining by contact with the roots of acacia.Dr.Cornwall's chemical analysis of one charred looking bone, has definitely shown that the bone was really charred and it is because the Langhanaj man probably roasted the flesh of the animals. During the excavation, Sankalia revealed 6 feet sandy silt of loess divisible into two or three strata or layer on the basis of the colour of the soil, its hardness, texture etc. The composition of the soil in the first 3 feet was dark brown and more compact. The soil below 3 feet tended to be lighter in colour with more porous texture and kankari mixed with lime concretions. The soil below 4 feet was light brown and more kankari.The skeleton and majority of the large animal remains as well as microliths come from this level. Today this light brown sandy soil due to centuries of bleaching of lime conspicuously whitish or light grey and also heavily encrusted the underlying material. The dry and arid climate of Langhanaj led to the formation of sandy silts. In such an environmental conditions and poor soil quality only light forest could be expected to grow.
  2. Later on professor Zeuner analyzed the soil sample chemically and detected it as a buried soil horizon. However Sankalia postulated that there were only two main layers and this fact was confined independently by Dr. Kenned in 1963. Zeuner also stated that the Rhino which were present in the region must have moved in the vicinity of the river and its nalas, where the vegetation is thicker all around the year. The 6 feet sandy deposit of Langhanaj is divided into 3 phases viz. phase I, Il and Ill. PHASE I: Phase I has produced microliths,burials, animal bones and few pot shards. MICROLITHS: At the junction of light brown and dark brown earth, at the depth of about 3 feet microliths were found. The distribution pattern proves that the microliths were made all over the mound, by every family. Blunted backed blades, triangles, lunates, scrapers and burins are the main tool types in Langhanaj.The raw material consists of chert, chalcedony, quartz, occasionally carnelian and very rarely lydianite.Associated with microliths are pieces of soft hematite and wedge shaped pieces of sandstone. The extant pieces suggest that the original object might be a rubbing stone but it is also possible that these thin flat sandstone pieces were used as an anvile, for making microliths.However, the notched flake gives positive evidence of hafting Besides the microliths one quartzite ring stone or mace head and two small chlorite schist ground tools have also been found. BURIALS: The earliest evidence of intentional disposal of the dead in India is known from the Mesolithic period. The only known method of disposal of the dead among the Mesolithic people was inhumations. 14 burials have been found and out of which only one was extended inhumations and the rest are flexed or disarticulate burials.Dr Sophie Ehrhardt who studied the skeletons thought that the Langhanaj people were cannibals and the cracks in the skull were due to some battle or traumatic event.Dr Kennedy rejects the suggestion and stated that these cracks were the natural consequences of weathering and flexed condition was due to the pressure of the overlaid deposits. Kennedy further thinks that there was certain genetic mixture that is because the skeleton shows a mixture of Mediterranean and Veddoid elements. ANIMAL BONES: Faunal remains include bovids, rhino, deer, hog deer, nilgai, tortoise, fish and squirrel etc. POTTERY: The occurrence of pottery is however small. The pottery is largely handmade though there seems to be traces of wheel made ware as well. Since the shards are very small, no recognizable shapes can be made out. The number of shards encrusted with lime and ill-baked . The detailed examination of all the pottery viz. i) burnished red ware ,ii) burnished black and red ware ,iii) incised coarse red ware and iv) scooped or rusticated ware. PHASE 11 AND 111: The traits of phase 1 continued in phase 11.A copper knife is made of pure copper, has a straight edge having a square end with rounded corners. It seems to be
  3. quite unique indicating the contacts with the Harappans.Potsherds are very fragmentary and bear incised decoration. Phase Ill is marked by further increase of potsherds and tanged arrow heads. The arrow is fairly long and it has a midrib. Some stone beads were also found in this phase. The relative age of the excavated culture is generally indicated by stratification .A biochemical analysis of bones recovered from top to bottom has not become successful. But recently few charred bones were processed by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and dated Langhanaj 2440 to 2160 B.C by radio carbon methods. The Mesolithic culture in Langhanaj was technically, socially and economically more superior than that of upper Palaeolithic period. They had an interactive trade relation with the Harappan cultures as stated before. They had intentional burial customs which is a reflection of a preplanned mental perception. However number of microliths with particular shapes like almond, peach etc suggests that it was a geometric industry which in turn proves a more developed culture. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Indus Civilization in Saurashtra-Gregory L. Possehl.lndian Archaeological Society. 1980 2. The Evolution and History of Human Population in South Asia-interdisciplinary studies in archaeology,biological anthropology ,linguistics and genetics:Michael D.Petraglia and Bridget Allchin.Springer Pub 2007. 3.Excavation at Langhanaj Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute. 1944- 63 4.An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology-A.Ghosh ICHR 1989 v-l 5.God apes and fossil men:palaeoanthropology of South Asia.Kenneth A.R Kennedy University of Michigan.2000 6.Foragers Traders in South and south East Asia.long term histories.Kathleen.D.Morrison and Laura L. Tunker.Cambridge University press.2002

Need a Tutor or Coaching Class?

Post an enquiry and get instant responses from qualified and experienced tutors.

Post Requirement

Related Study Notes

Upload Study Notes

If you have your own Study Notes which you think can benefit others, please upload on LearnPick. For each approved Study Note you will get 100 Credit Points and 100 Activity Score which will increase your profile visibility.

Upload Now
Home > Study Notes > Mesolithic Culture