Excavations at Charda

The excavations at Charda was undertaken under the Major Research Project entitled "Archaeology of North Koshal Region" sanctioned by the University Grants Commission, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi Dunng the village to village explorations in Bahraich district 70 sites of archaeological importance were found. These were settlements of different periods ranging from Pre NBPW times to Medieval Period Gudrun Corvinus extensively explored the region of Nepal specially the Districts of Dang and Deokhuri and reported a number of sites from Dun valley and Siwalik foothills of Nepal. These belong to later Pleistocene to the later Holocene Period. There was a possibility to exist the next step of this chain in the terai region While completing the field work in the Saryupara arca specially in Gonda, Balrampur, Sravasti and Bahraich it was observed that almost the settlements were as earlier as NBPW or Pre NBPW period. The mound of Charda has an attractive remains of ancient settlement for excavation in the ferai region to understand the chronological sequence of the area as well as the nature of expansion of cultures in the terai region. Total ten trenches were laid and exca vated up to the natural deposit for this purpose. The upper portion of deposit was found disturbed due to robbing of ancient bricks from the mound. However cultural evidences of Pre NBPW NBPW, Sunga-Kusana, Gupta- post Gupta, Early medieval and even Medieval periods were recorded from the site. A bone tool industry was also found in this seasons work. The details of the findings and scientific reports are being given in this book.

Many hands of scholars, students and my well-wishers joined to bring this report in this form I am very thankfull to Shri JS. Nigam, retired Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India for his regular assistance in field work and report writing Prof. I.B. Singh, Head, Department of Geology, Lucknow University for giving a note on the geomorphic settings of the area. Dr. Durgesh Dr. Brijesh Kumar Pandey and students of P G Diploma in Archaeology, session 1999 2000 for assisting in the field work, Dr Chanchala Srivastava, Scientist, Birbal Sahani Institute of Paleobotany, Lucknow for taking the responsibility of the study of Botanical remains, Prof GL.Badam, Educational Consultant, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manava Sangrahalaya, Bhopal for identification of the animal bones, Dr. Rajagopalan of BSIP, Lucknow and Dr. Gerhard Morgenroth of Institute of Physics, University of Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany for processing of Radiocarbon dates: Dr Sikha Sharma and Dr. Manish Sharma for taking the responsibility of study of oxygen-isotopic analysis of molar teeth samples of Bovid, Mr Akhilesh Kumar Verma for preparing pottery drawings, Head of the Depart ment of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology and Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University for providing administrative support, Shri U.B.S, Gautam, Executive Engineer, Department of Works, Lucknow University for help in camping My grateful thanks are to Shri R.S. Bisht. Director (Explora tion), Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi for granting permission for the excavation at Charda.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages