Hazaribag Site Reveals 3,200-Year-Old Settlement

The archaeological site in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand has yielded evidence of a layered settlement in the Mohane river basin in Chauparan block. The site includes villages such as Dehar, Sohra, Mangarh, and Hathinder, where artefacts have been recovered during farming and foundation digging.

Archaeological Context

Archaeological remains from the site have been linked to a settlement dating back nearly 3,200 years. The evidence spans multiple historical periods and includes habitation layers, debris zones, and buried structures.

Survey Methods and Findings

Ground Penetrating Radar, or GPR, has been used by teams from IIT-ISM Dhanbad and Visva-Bharati University. The surveys identified subsurface anomalies, including large buried structures measuring over 100 feet in length.

Material Remains and Cultural Layers

Samples of Northern Black Polished Ware, a black-glazed pottery associated with the early historic period in South Asia, have been collected from the site. The site has also produced statues of Gautam Buddha, Tara, Marichi, Avalokiteshvara, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, and Ganesha.

Protection and Heritage Status

Historians, scientists, and conservationists have called for intervention by the Archaeological Survey of India to protect the site. A large mound in Mangarh village has been identified as an ancient Buddhist stupa dating to about 2,500 to 3,000 years ago.

Important Facts for Exams

• Ground Penetrating Radar is a geophysical method used to detect buried structures without excavation.
• Northern Black Polished Ware is associated with the early historic phase in the Indian subcontinent.
• Stupas are Buddhist funerary and commemorative structures found across South Asia.
• The Archaeological Survey of India is the central agency for archaeological research and monument protection in India.

Historical Significance

Chauparan block in Hazaribag district has yielded archaeological material over several decades. The site includes both Buddhist and Hindu iconography from different periods.