Kaytha Kayatha | |
---|---|
village | |
Coordinates: 23°14′13″N76°01′08″E / 23.237°N 76.0189°E Coordinates: 23°14′13″N76°01′08″E / 23.237°N 76.0189°E | |
Country | India |
State | Madhya Pradesh |
District | Ujjain |
Tehsil | Tarana |
Elevation | 495 m (1,624 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 8,040 |
Language | |
• Official | Hindi [1] |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
ISO 3166 code | MP-IN |
Census code | 471803 |
Kaytha or Kayatha is a village and an archaeological site in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India, in the Tarana tehsil, near the city of Ujjain, on the banks of Choti-Kali Sindh river.
In 1964, V. S. Wakankar discovered the archeologically important Kayatha culture here, dating back to more than 4000 years. [2] [3] [4]
Several Chalcolithic sites, with four occupational phases, [5] have been discovered in the Malwa region of central India. The site at Kayatha, situated on the right bank of the Choti Kali Sindh river (a tributary of Chambal river), is the type site of this culture, known as "Kayatha culture". [6]
Excavations conducted by V. S. Wakankar (1965–66), and by M. K. Dhavalikar and Z. D. Ansari (1968) revealed layers from five different periods: [6]
Of these, period I to III are Chalcolithic. There are four C-14 dated from period I and three from period III giving a range from 2000 BC to 1200 BC to the Chalcolithic culture at Kayatha. [3] [7]
The Kayatha culture represents the earliest known agriculture settlement in the present-day Malwa region. It also featured advanced copper metallurgy and stone blade industry. Using calibrated radiocarbon, Dhavalikar dated this culture to a period spanning from 2400 BCE to 2000 BCE. However, calibrated dates by Gregory Possehl place it between 2200 BCE and 2000 BCE. [8]
Excavation at Kayatha in 1964-65, revealed the Kayatha culture dates much earlier than the Malwa culture. [9] An interesting aspect is that the earliest occupants used triangular terracota cake-like objects, stone weights, buff ware etc. [10] Depictions of bull, deer, panther and elephants have been discovered later. [3] Interestingly, a clay figure of horse has also been discovered. [2] Also of archeological and anthropological significance is the parallel between the bull forms from Kayatha and south European sites. [3] Though not much is known about the religious practices of the Kayatha culture but it is suggested that they must have been in contact with OCP people in North and the Harappans. [11]
According to the 2011 census of India, Kaytha has a population of 8040, including 4143 males and 3897 females. The sex ratio of the village is 955. The effective literacy rate (excluding children below 6) is 70.5%. [12]
Madhya Pradesh is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Satna, Narmadapuram, Shahdol, Rewa and Morena being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by area and the fifth largest state by population with over 72 million residents. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest.
Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also synonymous with the former state of Madhya Bharat which was later merged with Madhya Pradesh. At present the historical Malwa region includes districts of western Madhya Pradesh and parts of south-eastern Rajasthan. Sometimes the definition of Malwa is extended to include the Nimar region south of the Vindhyas.
Ujjain is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain division. It is one of the Hindu pilgrimage centres of Sapta Puri famous for the Kumbh Mela held there every 12 years. The famous temple of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is located in the center of the city. The city has been one of the most prominent trade and political centres of Indian Subcontinent from the time of Ancient Mahajanapadas up until the British Colonization of India.
Shajapur District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. The town of Shajapur is the district headquarters.
The Kali Sindh, is a river in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in northern India. It is a tributary of the Chambal River in the Ganges Basin. The main tributaries of the Kali Sindh are the Parwan, Niwaj and Ahu rivers. The Kali Sindh River drains a major portion of the Malwa region, and is the biggest river flowing in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.
Chitragupta is a Hindu deity who serves as the registrar of the dead. He is assigned with the task of maintaining the records of the actions of human beings in a register called the Agrasandhanī. Upon the death of a human and their arrival at Yamaloka, Chitragupta reads out their deeds, allowing the god of death, Yama, to decide whether they go to Svarga or Naraka, depending on their actions on earth. Chitragupta is the seventeenth manasaputra of Brahma. He is believed to have been created from Brahma's soul and mind (chit) and thus is allotted the right to write Vedas like a Brahmin, and also assigned the duty of a Kshatriya.
The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP) is a Bronze Age culture of the Indo-Gangetic Plain "generally dated 2000–1500 BCE," extending from eastern Punjab to northeastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh.
The South Asian Stone Age covers the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in South Asia. Evidence for the most ancient Homo sapiens in South Asia has been found in the cave sites of Cudappah of India, Batadombalena and Belilena in Sri Lanka. In Mehrgarh, in what is today western Pakistan, the Neolithic began c. 7000 BCE and lasted until 3300 BCE and the first beginnings of the Bronze Age. In South India, the Mesolithic lasted until 3000 BCE, and the Neolithic until 1400 BCE, followed by a Megalithic transitional period mostly skipping the Bronze Age. The Iron Age began roughly simultaneously in North and South India, around c. 1200 to 1000 BCE.
Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar was an Indian archeologist. Wakankar is credited with the discovery of the Bhimbetka rock caves in 1957 and the Kayatha culture in 1964, among others. In 2003, UNESCO inscribed the Bhimbetka rock caves as a World Heritage Site. The Bhimbetka rock caves exhibit one of the earliest traces of human life in India.
Pottery in the Indian subcontinent has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible and iconic elements of Indian art. Evidence of pottery has been found in the early settlements of Lahuradewa and later the Indus Valley Civilisation. Today, it is a cultural art that is still practiced extensively in Indian subcontinent. Until recent times all Indian pottery has been earthenware, including terracotta.
The history of Madhya Pradesh can be divided into three periods - the ancient period, the medieval period and modern period.
Govardhan Rai Sharma (1919-1986) was a Historian from Allahabad University who led the Kausambi excavations which added to original historical research in the country. The ruins of this ancient city were found on the left bank of the river Yamuna, 70 km south-west from Allahabad. Thus commenced excavations of the site by the late Prof. G.R. Sharma of the Allahabad University in 1949 and again in 1951-1956. Following these excavations numerous remains of the ancient city came to light. He is among the historians who brought archeology in the mainstream of studying History.
Madhukar Keshav Dhavalikar was an Indian historian and archaeologist.
Jorwe is a village and an archaeological site located on the Pravara, a tributary of the Godavari River in Sangamner taluka of Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra state in India. This site was excavated in 1950-51 under the direction of Hasmukh Dhirajlal Sankalia and Shantaram Bhalchandra Deo.
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Barkheda is a village in the Obedullaganj block of the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, India. Alternative English spellings of its name include Bharkada and Barkhera. It is a census-designated place with the code 484296 (2011).
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The Malwa culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in the Malwa region of Central India and parts of Maharashtra in the Deccan Peninsula. It is mainly dated to c. 1600 – c. 1300 BCE, but calibrated radiocarbon dates have suggested that the beginning of this culture may be as early as c. 2000-1750 BCE.
The Jorwe culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in large areas of what is now Maharashtra state in Western India, and also reached north into the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. It is named after the type site of Jorwe. The early phase of the culture is dated to c. 1400-1000 BCE, while the late phase is dated to c. 1000-700 BCE.
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