Navadatoli

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Maheshwar on Map of Khargone district

Navadatoli (नवदाटोली) is a village and an archaeological site in Maheshwar tahsil of District West Nimar (Khargone) in Madhya Pradesh.

Variants

• Navadatoli (नवदाटोली)
• Navaratoli (नावड़ाटौली)
• Navdatoli

Location

Both the village and the site of Navadatoli are located roughly a mile south of the modern day town of Maheshwar. Coordinates: 22.162°N 75.583°E. Navdatoli is an Archaeological Site, is just opposite Maheshwar, on the southern bank of the Narmada, is the historically and archaeologically important site of Navdatoli.

History

Navdatoli was first discovered in 1950, it yielded painted pottery and microliths. With increased explorations, archaeologists concluded that a broad sequence of cultures from the Lower Palaeolithic period up to the 18th century have existed at Navdatoli. The third period of occupation has been dated at between 1500 BC and 1200 BC. House plans from this period have been excavated which show either circular or rectangular buildings. The circular houses had a circumference of about 3m and the walls and roof were made of split bamboo covered with mud.

Navdatoli refers to both a modern day village and a chalcolithic era settlement located on the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh in central India. The ancient village was inhabited through four stages each defined by types of pottery. The site was excavated between 1957 and 1959 over two seasons. Both the village and the site are located roughly a mile south of the modern day town of Maheshwar.

Ahar, Kayatha, and Malwa cultures

Dr Naval Viyogi writes about The South and the Central Indian Cultures of Chalcolithic Age: (Ahar, Kayatha, and Malava) ...The remains of Chalcolithic culture have been recovered from the excavation of Ahar and Gelund sites of Bana valley in Rajasthan The date of this culture is 2000 BC-500 BC. Later it was occupied by the 'Iron Age People'. The latest Carbon date of Kalibanga has been calculated to be 1500 B.C. It means Harappan culture survived there later, for a period of about 300 years. In this way Harappan culture of Kalibanga and Chalcolithic culture of Ahar lived contemporarily for a long period of about 700 years (2000 BC-1300 BC). The date 1725 BC, derived by the Tata Institute of Technology Bombay, is also not less contemporary. Since the carbon dates of Eran (Distt [[Sagar Madhya Pradesh]]), Navadatoli (Distt Nimad in Madhya Pradesh), Nevasa (Distt Ahmad Nagar), Songaon, Inamgaon Chandoli (Distt Pune M.R.) etc have been fixed within the second millenium B.C. From this it has become clear that Chalcolithic culture developed in the South and the Central India during the last period of Harappan culture or last phase of some sites or just after.

In this age, the successive development of three cultures of Kayatha, Malava and Jorve is also evident. The Savalda culture of Tapti valley is of some specific type, but it is similar to Kayatha culture. Remains of whatever Chalcolithic culture have come to hands from Maheshwara and Navadatoli (9 kms South of Indore) lying in between Ujjain and Indore, has been named as Malava culture. On a later date, from excavation of Kayatha (on the bank of Kali Sindh) we have come to know about a rich Chalcolithic culture, which developed a few centuries (about 2000 BC) earlier than the Malava culture. Ahar, Kayatha and Malava cultures are so similar that it will be Justified to call them fundamentally one culture. The Ahar and the Kayatha cultures should be taken as parent cultures of Malava.

Owing to fixation of carbon-14 date of Malva culture between 1660 ± 130 and 1445 ± 130 BC, period of its origin has been decided 1500 BC (Aggarwal-l971). Evidences of extension of this culture from the region of Ujjain and Navadatoli up to the Tapti and onward up to the Bhima valley, has been noted from the excavation of Chandoli, Songaon and Inamgaon.

Archaeology

The archaeological site was defined by 4 distinct mounds and excavated by researchers from Deccan College. Mounds I, II, and III were partially excavated in 1957-1958.[1] Mound IV was completely excavated over two seasons which lasted from 1957-1958 and 1958-1959.[1] Numerous rectangular and circular structures were uncovered which contained most of the artifacts that were found. The houses were mostly one room and were made of wattle and daub that were whitewashed with lime. Llime was also used on the floors in an effort to reduce the number of insects inside each house. The wattle of the houses were made of either acacia or conifer and were interwoven with bamboo. Most houses had a fireplace and a stone slab that was used for grinding and mashing grain. Pottery of varying styles including Malwa, Jorwe, black and red ware, cream slipped ware, and grey ware were also commonly found within houses . Similarities between Navdatoli pottery and certain Iranian ceramics have led some to believe the area was colonized by immigrants from the northwest. Given the size and number of residences found, along with the length of time the area was occupied, it is estimated that on average roughly 150 individuals lived in the village in its earliest stage.[4] Evidence of domestic animals including Indian cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs were also found.

Lithic Production

In the roughly 20,000 square feet that were excavated, over 30,000 blades, cores, and flakes were found at the site, leading archaeologists to believe the site was a production area for lithic tools. Nearly all of the tools were made of chalcedony from the nearby Narmada River. The same method of production was used throughout the occupation of the site and it appears that each household made their own tools, often the case of other sites from the same time period and within the same area. Blades found at Navdatoli were often longer than those found at other sites within the same time period.

नवदाटोली

नवदाटोली महेश्वर में नर्मदा तट पर स्थित है इसका ताम्रपाषाण एक अस्तित्व 1637 ई.पूर्व के मध्य माना जाता है यहां से झोपड़ीनुमा मिट्टी के घरों के साक्ष्य मिले हैं जो चौकोर या आयताकार होते थे.

नवदाटोली एक प्रागैतिहासिक स्थान है जो नर्मदा नदी के दोनों ओर स्थित है। इस स्थान का अनोखापन इस बात से जाहिर होता है कि यहाँ पर पुराप्रस्तर कालीन से लेकर 18वीं सदी की संस्कृतियाँ रहीं हैं। नवदाटोली के खण्डहर 1950 में हो रही एक खुदाई के दौरान मिले थे।

नवदाटोली इन्दौर से दक्षिण की ओर 60 मील की दूरी पर स्थित है। यहाँ के निवासी गोल, आयताकार या वर्गाकार झोंपड़ियाँ बनाते थे। व उनमें निवास करते थे। मध्य प्रदेश में नर्मदा की घाटी में नवदाटोली की खुदाई 1957-1958 में की गयी थी। प्राचीन अवशेषों से यह ज्ञात होता है। यहाँ निवास स्थान आकार में निवास छोटे थे। सबसे बड़ा निवास स्थान भी लम्बाई में साढ़े चार मीटर है और चौड़ाई में तीन मीटर से अधिक नहीं है। इनकी दीवारें बाँस की टटिटयों पर मिट्टी 'ल्हेस' कर बनायी जाती थीं। झोंपड़ियों में अनाज रखने के लिए बड़े मटके भी मिले हैं। यहाँ से प्राप्त मृद्भाण्डों को मालवा मृद्भाण्ड भी कहते हैं। इनकी विशेषता यह है कि इनमें पीले रंग पर लाल सतह है और उन पर काले रंग की चित्रकारी है। कुछ मृद्भाण्ड जोर्वे टाइप के हैं। इनकी विशेषता यह है कि इनकी किनारी बहुत पक्की है और वे लाल रंग के हैं। इन पर भी काले रंग की चित्रकारी है।

इनका काल 1600 ई.पू निर्धारित किया गया है। यहाँ के निवासी पहले 200 वर्षों में मुख्य रूप से गेहूँ खाते थे। बाद में वे चावल, मसूर, मूँग, मटर, आदि खाने लगे। भारत में सबसे प्राचीन चावल यहीं से मिला है। सम्भवत: ये लोग अनाज को पत्थर की हँसियों से काटते थे। अनाज को सम्भवतः गीला करके ओखली में पीसा जाता था। गाय, बैल, सूअर, भेड़, बकरी आदि का माँस खाया जाता था। घोड़े के कोई भी अवशेष इस स्थान से नहीं मिले है। यहाँ के लोग से अनभिज्ञ थे। ये ताँबे का भी प्रयोग कम करते थे। ताँबे की कुल्हाड़ी मछली मारने के हुक पिन और छल्ले बनाये जाते थे। अधिकतर औजार पत्थर के लघु-अश्म थे, जिनमें लकड़ी या हड्डी के दस्ते लगते थे। ये लोग शवों को मृद्भाण्डों में रखकर दफ़नाते थे। सम्भवत: यह प्रथा दक्षिण भारत की उत्तर प्रस्तर-युग की संस्कृति के लोगों से सीखी थी। कार्बन-14 की वैज्ञानिक विधि के आधार पर इस संस्कृति का काल 1600-1300 ई.पू निर्धारित किया गया है। तीन बार आग से नष्ट होने पर भी ये लोग 700 ई.पू तक यहाँ रहते रहे, जबकि लोहे का प्रयोग जानने वाली किसी अन्य जाति ने, जो [Ujjain|[उज्जैन]] से यहाँ आई थी, इन्हें नष्ट कर दिया।

References

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