 Mehrgarh
was an ancient
settlement in South
Asia and is one of
the most important
sites in archaeology
for the study of the
earliest neolithic
settlements in that
region. The remains
are located in
Balochistan,
Pakistan, on the
Kachi plain near the
Bolan Pass, to the
west of the Indus
River valley and
between the
present-day cities
of Quetta, Kalat and
Sibi.
Mehrgarh is
sometimes cited as
the earliest known
farming settlement
in South Asia, based
on archaeological
excavations from
1974 (Jarrige et
al). The earliest
evidence of
settlement dates
from 7000 BCE. It is
also cited for the
earliest evidence of
pottery in South
Asia. Archaeologists
divide the
occupation at the
site into several
periods.
The chalcolithic
people of Mehrgarh
also had contacts
with northern
Afghanistan,
northeastern Iran
and even with the
southern part of
central Asia (B.B.
Lal 1997: 287).
Mehrgarh Period I
Mehrgarh Period I
7000 - 5500 BCE, was
neolithic and
aceramic (i.e.,
without the use of
pottery). The
earliest farming in
the area was
developed by
semi-nomadic people
using plants such as
wheat and barley and
animals such as
sheep, goat and
cattle. The
settlement was
established with
simple mud buildings
with four internal
subdivisions.
Numerous burials
have been found,
many with elaborate
goods such as
baskets, stone and
bone tools, beads,
bangles, pendants
and occasionally
animal sacrifices,
with more goods left
with burials of
males. Ornaments of
sea shell,
limestone,
turquoise, lapis
lazuli, sandstone
and polished copper
have been found,
along with simple
figurines of women
and animals. A
single ground stone
axe was discovered
in a burial, and
several more were
obtained from the
surface. These
ground stone axes
are the earliest to
come from a
stratified context
in the South Asia.
Mehrgarh Period
II and Period III
Mehrgarh Period II
5500 - 4800 BC and
Merhgarh Period III
4800 - 3500 BC were
ceramic neolithic
(i.e., pottery was
now in use) and
later chalcolithic.
Much evidence of
manufacturing
activity has been
found and more
advanced techniques
were used. Glazed
faience beads were
produced and
terracotta figurines
became more
detailed. Figurines
of females were
decorated with paint
and had diverse
hairstyles and
ornaments. Two
flexed burials were
found in period II
with a covering of
red ochre on the
body. The amount of
burial goods
decreased over time,
becoming limited to
ornaments and with
more goods left with
burials of females.
The first button
seals were produced
from terracotta and
bone and had
geometric designs.
Technologies
included stone and
copper drills,
updraft kilns, large
pit kilns and copper
melting crucibles.
There is further
evidence of
long-distance trade
in period II:
important as an
indication of this
is the discovery of
several beads of
lapis lazuli -
originally from
Badakshan.
Mehrgarh Period
VII
Somewhere between
2600 and 2000 BC,
the city seems to
have been largely
abandoned, which is
when the Indus
Valley Civilisation
was in its initial
stages of
development. It has
been surmised that
the inhabitants of
Mehrgarh migrated to
the fertile Indus
valley as the
Balochistan became
more arid due to
climatic changes. |
