Hallur

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name= Hallur
locator_position=right
latd = 14.33|longd=75.62
state_name=Karnataka
district=Haveri district
altitude=
population_total = | population_density =
area_magnitude=
area_total=
area_telephone=
postal_code=
vehicle_code_range=
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Hallur is an archaeological site located in the Haveri district (which was carved out of Dharwad district), in the Indian state of Karnataka.Kenneth A. R. Kennedy (2000), p272] Hallur, South India's earliest Iron Age site,Robert Bradnock (2000), p499] lies in a semi-arid region with scrub vegetation, located on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. The site is a low mound about 6.4 m high.Peter Neal Peregrine, Melvin Ember, Human Relations Area Files Inc. (2001), p368] The site was first discovered by Nagaraja Rao in 1962, and excavated in 1965.

Findings

The excavations at Hallur by Nagaraja Rao revealed two periods of occupation, Period I: Neolithic-Chalcolithic and Period II: An overlapping period between Neolithic-Chalcolithic and early Iron Age. V. N. Misra, Peter Bellwood (1985) p470] Period I consisted of two phases of human occupation dating to 2135-1755 B.C. and 1435-1230 B.C. In Period II, it was found that a new set of humans had arrived at this site with iron arrowheads, daggers and knives. Their pottery was generally black-and-red ware with lines and patterns in white drawn over them. The iron found in this site was subjected to radiocarbon dating by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and it was found that these iron objects belonged to about 1000 B.C. This was contrary to the British archaeologist D. H. Gordon's theory that iron was not used in India prior to 250 B.C. Further excavations by archaeozoologist K. R. Alur in 1971 led to the discovery of horse bones ("Equus caballus Linn"), which were dated to a period before the presumed Aryan invasion. This discovery created a controversy since it countervened the common belief that horses were introduced into the southern parts of India only by the Aryans. Edwin Bryant (2001), p170]

Archaeobotanical findings at Hallur indicated that finger millet, kodo millet, rice, black gram, green gram and hyacinth beans were cultivated here.M. L. K. Murty (2003), p92] Ornaments made of carnelian, ceramic, gold and antler were also found. Apart from the bones of the horse; bones of cattle, sheep, goat and dog were found.

The housing structures found here consisted of circular floors, composed of schist chips and mud pounded hard to make a hard surface. The walls made of bamboo and mud, provided support to a conical thatched roof. One of the houses was found to have a circular fireplace containing ash and charcoal. The region below the floors was a burial chamber consisting of urns used for child burials.Niharranjan Ray, Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya (2000), p206] Chalcolithic blade tools of black quartzite, small copper axes and fish hooks are also found. The transition to the Iron Age period is marked by the presence of megaliths and iron implements.

Notes

References

*cite book |last= Kennedy|first= Kenneth A. R.|title= God-Apes and Fossil Men: Paleoanthropology of South Asia|origyear=2000|year= 2000|publisher= University of Michigan Press|isbn=0472110136
*cite book |last= Bryant|first= Edwin|title= The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration|origyear=2001|year= 2001|publisher= Oxford University Press|isbn=0195137779
*cite book |author=Peter Neal Peregrine, Melvin Ember, Human Relations Area Files Inc.|title= Encyclopedia of Prehistory|origyear=2001|year= 2001|publisher= Springer|isbn=0306462621
*cite book |author= V. N. Misra, Peter Bellwood|title= Recent Advances in Indo-Pacific Prehistory|origyear=1985|year= 1985|publisher= BRILL|isbn=9004075127
*cite book |last= Murty|first= M. L. K.|title= Pre- and Protohistoric Andhra Pradesh Up to 500 B.C.|origyear=2003|year= 2003|publisher= Orient Longman|isbn=8125024751
*cite book |author= Niharranjan Ray, Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya|title= A Sourcebook of Indian Civilization|origyear=2000|year= 2000|publisher= Orient Longman|isbn=8125018719
*cite book |last= Bradnock|first=Robert|title= South India Handbook: The Travel Guide|origyear=2000|year= 2000|publisher= Footprint Travel Guides|isbn=1900949814