Ahar Culture - Voldium

Location of Ahar Culture

Ahar culture is Chalcolithic archaeological site located on the banks of the Ahar river in southeastern Rajasthan, India.
The Ahar culture is one of the earliest chalcolithic cultures of India and provides valuable insights into the prehistoric period of Rajasthan.
It is also known as the Banas culture, after the name of the valley where most of the sites of this culture are found.
It shows the transition from stone to metal use, the development of pottery and art, the emergence of social differentiation, and the interaction with other cultures.
There are over 90 sites in this region, however, the major excavated sites are Ahar and Balathal in Udaipur district, Gilund in Rajsamanad district, and Ojiyana in Bhilwara district Rajasthan.

Time period

Timeline – The Ahar culture lasted from about 2500 BCE to 1500 BCE, and was contemporary and adjacent to the Indus Valley civilization.

Settlements in Ahar Culture

The housing in Ahar culture was made of stones and mud.
Stones were used to build the foundation of the houses, while the walls were made of unbaked bricks and stones.
The roofs were covered with bamboo and mud. Some of the houses were quite big and had courtyards or open spaces.
There were also drainage systems for water disposal
The houses had features such as fireplaces, storage pits, grinding stones, and small jars for storing food or water.
Balathal had a central fortified area that was encircled by the dwellings of the people. This indicates that they may have faced conflicts with other groups.

Economy of Ahar Culture

The people engaged in various crafts such as pottery, metalworking and bead making. They used materials such as shell, bone, ivory, semiprecious stones, steatite and terracotta for making beads.
They improved their technology by using the fast wheel for making pottery. They also applied slip, polish, and burnish to their vessels and decorated them with various patterns. They created many new shapes and forms of pottery during this period.
Ahar was a major source of copper for the Harappans, as there were many copper mines within 32 km of the site.
Rice cultivation was practiced at Ahar, as evidenced by the impressions of rice grains on pottery fragments.
They also grew crops such as wheat, barley, millet, bajra and jawar. They domesticated animals such as cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, pigs, dogs and fowl. They hunted wild animals such as sambhar, nilgai, chital, blackbuck, and wild boar. They had a mixed economy based on farming and hunting.
The farming culture in southeastern Rajasthan came to an end due to a harsh climate change at the end of the second millennium BC. The Late Ahar phase shows signs of decline.
They used metals such as copper and its alloys to make tools and weapons such as knives, axes, fishing hooks, chisels, pins and rod. They also made ornaments from semi-precious stones and beads such as agate, jasper, chalcedony and carnelian.

Burials in Ahar Culture

The Ahar culture had a variety of burial practices, ranging from single interments to jar burials to above-ground ossuaries and rock-cut tombs. Some of the burials were accompanied by grave goods such as pottery, copper objects, beads and bangles.

Trade in Ahar Culture

The Ahar culture also had some evidence of trade and cultural contacts with other regions such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and the Indus Valley.

Decline

An inhospitable climate experienced during the end of the second millennium BC led to the termination of the farming culture in southeastern Rajasthan. Features of decline are evident in the Late Ahar phase.

Why Ahar culture is not Ahar valley civilization like the Indus valley civilization?

Civilization and culture are two concepts that are related but not the same. They both describe some aspects of human societies, but they have different scopes and meanings. Culture is the collective identity and expression of a group of people, while civilization is the complex system and organization of a group of people.
Culture is a broader and more basic concept than civilization. Culture encompasses the values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors of a group of people, regardless of their level of development or organization. Civilization is a narrower and more advanced concept than culture. Civilization includes the technology, government, economy, and other features of a group of people, in addition to their culture.
Culture can exist without civilization, but civilization cannot exist without culture. Culture is the foundation of human society, as it shapes human nature and interaction. Civilization is the outcome of human society, as it reflects human development and achievement. Therefore, culture precedes civilization in human history.
Not all societies have attained the status of civilization, but all societies have some form of culture. Civilization requires certain criteria such as urbanization, writing, trade, and administration, which not all societies have met. However, culture is inherent to all societies, as culture is part of human nature. For instance, the Indus Valley civilization was one of the first and most advanced civilizations in the world, while the Ahar-Banas culture was a less complex and less developed cultural phenomenon.

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