Relooking at the Archaeology of Neem ka Thana tehsil, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

An archaeological reconnaissance and survey with a site census was carried out in the Neem ka Thana tehsil Rajasthan using the village-to-village survey method in the years 2020–2022. The study aimed to revisit the already documented sites, identify and document new sites, and salvage cultural material from destroyed or damaged sites due to increasing agricultural and development activities. Neem ka Thana tehsil has been previously explored and these explorations have reported archaeological sites affiliated to the Palaeolithic, Chalcolithic, Early Historic, Historic, and Medieval periods, with the majority of sites (88) belonging to the Chalcolithic Ganeshwar-Jodhpura Culture Complex (GJCC). This heavy concentration of sites in such a small geographical area raises questions about the distribution pattern and nature of the sites. The current study discusses the results of the survey along with new insights about the cultural affiliations of both, the newly discovered and previously reported sites and contributes to the existing literature by raising questions on the nature and identity of the sites reported and recommends further study. Several new ideas with regard to the nature of the archaeological material in the region such as possible association with the Rangmahal Culture and iron ore are also discussed. The study also contributes to the conversation on methodology during the process of exploration and salvage archaeology.