HVK Archives: Vedic period settlement discovered in UP
Vedic period settlement discovered in UP - The Times of India
Posted By Ashok Chowgule (ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in)
December 29, 1998
Title: Vedic period settlement discovered in UP
Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: December 29, 1998
Remains of an ancient settlement dating back to later Vedic period have
been discovered near Makarbai village in Mahoba district of Uttar
Pradesh.
The recent discovery by D N Paliwal, professor in the department of
applied mechanics in Motilal Nehru Engineering College here, points to
the fact that human settlement in this region continued from the
Chalcolithic Age to the medieval period in spite of disruptions caused
by factors like change of dynasty.
The antiques recovered from the site date back to a period between 1000
BC to 200 AD, Prof Paliwal said on Sunday.
The historical site is situated along the hills of Kali-Leek (black
line) range, lying north of Vindhya and Kaimur ranges, confined to a
triangular area with a man-made stone rampart forming one of its three
sides. It may be recalled that such mud-brick ramparts were also
constructed in 600 BC in Kaushambi, Ujjain, Rajghat (old Varanasi) and
other such cities of ancient India built under the Magadha kingdom for
security purposes.
Polished red pottery and large-sized bricks used in wells found at the
site indicate that the settlement continued to exist during the reign of
the Satvahanas and Kushans.
Other items collected from the site include iron arrowheads, clamps,
glass, beads and bangles of a variety of shapes and colours, a brass
ring and copper coins. While the arrowheads and clamps are dated
between 1000-600 BC, similar to those found at Atranjikhera (Hastinapur)
and Rajghat, the black polished earthenware found at Makarbai belong to
500-1 00 BC. This has been confirmed by J N Pal and other professors of
ancient history at Allahabad university. However, the correct age of
the brass ring was yet to be ascertained.
At least five abandoned wells have been sighted at the site and around
it. One of these has a square cross-section and is built of
stone-slabs. Another well made of bricks has a diameter of only one
metre or so.
Some graves with stone-pillars also existed at the site. Figures of
couples are engraved on these pillars, the men invariably shown in
hunting poses, armed with bows, arrows and khukhri. About two years
back, a human skeleton measuring about two metres in length was dug out
by Manohar Lal Kachhi and others, while carrying out soil conservation
work in the agricultural field very close to the site. Unfortunately it
was destroyed by them.
Prof Paliwal said that according to legends, Hastinapur was flooded and
the members of the Kuru clan moved to Kaushambi, kingkom of Vatsa. A
Kuru clan had its capital at Kaushambi and ruled over the region around
Makarbai (180 km from Kaushambi) in 600 BC.
It is quite possible that Kuru clan of Vatsa might have named this place
as Makarvahini (Ganga), the mother of Bhishma Pitamah. With the passage
of time, Makarvahini got distorted into Makarbai, he said.
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