Early Iron Age in Eastern Vidarbha

Contents

Foreword

Preface

List of Figures

List of tables

Chapter 1: Background: Problems and Prospects – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 2: Environmental Setting of the Malli and Surroundings – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 3: The Settlement: Cuttings, Stratigraphy and Chronology – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 4: Megalithic Cemetery: Location, Typology and Inner Architecture – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 5: The Habitation: Mode of Living – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 6: Ceramic Traditions – Virag Gopal Sontakke and Guniya Yadav

Chapter 7: Terracotta Objects – Mohan Pardhi

Chapter 8: Metal Artefacts – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 9: Stone Artefacts – Virag Gopal Sontakke and Abhishek Ranjan

Chapter 10: Agricultural Practices and Plant Exploitation – Satish Naik

Chapter 11: Archaeozoological Analysis of Faunal Remains from Habitation and Burials – Pankaj Goyal and Krutika Haraniya

Chapter 12: Osteological Analysis of Post-Crematory Human Skeletal Remains – Rushal Unkule and Mushrif-Tripathy

Chapter 13: Phytoliths Analysis from Habitation Deposit – Sanjay Eksambekar

Chapter 14: Microlithic Assemblage from Malli and Surroundings: Excavations and Explorations – Tosabanta Padhan and Garima Khansili

Chapter 15: Metallurgical Analysis of Iron Slags and Artefacts – Eiji Yamasue, Benjamin Sabatini, Tomotaka Sasada, Prachi V. Sontakke and Akinori Uesugi

Chapter 16: Scientific Analysis and Characterisation of Megalithic Ceramics from Malli – Prachi Virag Sontakke, Shamim Dar and Virag Gopal Sontakke

Chapter 17: Conclusion – Virag Gopal Sontakke

Bibliography

About the Author

Virag Gopal Sontakke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology at Banaras Hindu University. He has six years of teaching experience at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in AIHC and Archaeology. Prior to joining Banaras Hindu University, he served as an Assistant Director with the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums of the Government of Maharashtra. During this period, he excavated Early Iron Age/Megalithic and Early Historic sites in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Sontakke has fifteen years of field archaeological experience and direct involvement in surveys and excavations. He has published excavation reports on Chandankheda and Nagardhan. Recently, he also published archaeological investigations, a new method, and the results of a survey in the Chunar, Mirzapur area. Additionally, Dr Sontakke has presented his research at various national and international forums and has more than forty significant publications to his credit. He has published more than fifty research articles in reputed national and international journals. He has completed two research projects and currently serves as Project Director on an ICSSR-sponsored project.