Early History of Orissa

SR No.: 006922
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Amarchand Mittal
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society
Publication Year: 1957
Total Pages: 506
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 9 MB

Page 92

Section C THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD1 After a time, probably a great duration of the palaeolithic period, some races of men discovered the art of grinding and polishing chipped implements, and produced a great variety of them, of different shapes, for different purposes. These have been called neoliths and the age is known as the Neolithic age. Many of these artifacts give no little idea of the beauty of form and finish. For a number of minor purposes, the neolithic men prepared a great variety of small tools by cleverly chipping hard silicious stones as chert, flint, agat and jasper etc., which in many cases had to be brought from great distances. These must have been procured either by travel or through barter with the residents of the regions where such stones were found. They gave up the use of quartzite which was utilized by their precursors and possible ancestors.
In the State of Orissa, the territory held by the former Garhjat States are rich in neolithic remains, but much attention has not been paid to this subject there except that in Mayurbhanj.
There are atleast three different sites in Mayurbhanj where neoliths have been discovered by P. Acharya and R. D. Banerji.: Two of these lie to the west of the Bangidiposi bills and are, therefore, connected with RanchiHazaribagh-Singbhum series. In this particular area, on account of the erosion of the banks of the Vaitarni near
1. This Section is based on R. D. Banerji's H.O., Vol. I., Chapter III, and informations collected by the author during a visit to the State Archaeological Muecum, Bhuvanesvar and also to Sri P. Acharya.
2. H.O., Vol. I., p. 34f.