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verification. (March 2013) |
ಸಂಗನಕಲ್ಲು | |
Coordinates | 15°11′5″N 76°58′13″E / 15.18472°N 76.97028°E |
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History | |
Periods | Mesolithic • Neolithic |
Sanganakallu ( Kannada: ಸಂಗನಕಲ್ಲು) is an ancient archaeological site from the Neolithic period (circa 3000 BC). It is approximately 8 km from Bellary in eastern Karnataka. [1] It is a group of hills south of a horseshoe shaped valley, with Kupgal to the north. [2] It is one of the earliest settlements in South India, spread over 1,000 acres. [1] There is a layer of red-brown fossilized soil spread over Sanganakallu and Kupgal that can be dated back to 9000 BC. [3] The site is considered to be a neolithic factory site due to the surface excavation revealing large numbers of pottery, stone axes, and other stone tools. [2] The site was first majorly excavated in 1946, by Bendapudi Subbarao, on Sannarasamma hill. [2] Subbarao divided their culture into 3 phases: [2]
Sanganakallu was excavated again in 1964. [4]
The earliest tools excavated were hundreds of patinated flakes made of basalt, and quartz flakes. [3] In the later Mesolithic phase is when tool making became more abundant. [2] Stone axes, hammer stones, chisels, picks, slick-stones, and sling stones were excavated. [2] The axes were found in many different shapes. There were oval shaped, triangular shaped, or rectangular shaped axes and some were axes were rounded and some were thin. [2] The sheer number of microliths is the reason Sanganakallu is considered a factory site. [2]
The first pottery started showing up in Mesolithic phase. The pottery was usually dull brown or black, and hand-made out of coarse clay. [2] Pale-gray pots made of fine clay mixed with lime and mica were also excavated. [2] The pottery from the later Neolithic period were more fine, thin, and polished. [2] They were all burnt and wheel turned. [2] The ornamental pottery was decorated in a finger groove pattern and a few shards were found painted purple. [2] A few pots were perforated and the significance of that is not yet known. [4]
In this excavation, a one room Neolithic circular house was excavated. [4] The wall was made with bamboo and clay and the floor was covered in potholes. [4] There was a hearth in the center of the house, and there is evidence of it being burned. [4] Other than the house structure, a few terracotta figurines in the shape of birds or bulls were also found as well as more stone tools and pottery. [4] Animal remains were also collected, the majority of which were cow bones. [4]
The people who settled at Sanganakallu were early agriculturists, who cultivated small millets and pulses. [1] They kept sheep, cattle, and had separate areas for dumping dung ( ash mounds). [1] It is hypothesized these ash mounds were for burning cow dung possibly in a ritual manner.
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