s (after
EIEC). The Andronovo,
BMAC and Yaz cultures have often been associated with Indo-Iranian migrations. The GGC, Cemetery H, Copper Hoard and PGW cultures are candidates for cultures associated with Indo-Aryan movements. Together with the
Gandhara grave culture and the
Ochre Coloured Pottery culture, the
Cemetery H culture is considered by some scholars as a factor in the formation of the
Vedic civilization. Wilhelm Rau (1972) has examined the references to
pottery in
Vedic texts like the Black
Yajur Veda and the
Taittiriya Samhita. According to his study,
Vedic pottery is for example hand-made and unpainted. According to Kuzmina (1983), Vedic pottery that matches Rau's description cannot be found in
Asia Minor and
Central Asia, though the pottery of
Andronovo culture is similar in some respects.
Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (2000 – 1500 BCE) in Eastern Punjab, Western UP and Rajasthan Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP) is a
2nd millennium BC Bronze Age culture of the
Indo-Gangetic Plain, extending from
eastern Punjab to northeastern
Rajasthan and
western Uttar Pradesh. It is considered a candidate for association with the early
Indo-Aryan or
Vedic culture. Early specimens of the characteristic ceramics found near Jodhpura,
Rajasthan, date from the 3rd millennium (this Jodhpura is located in the district of
Jaipur and should not be confused with the city of
Jodhpur). Several sites of culture flourish along the banks of
Sahibi River and its tributaries such as
Krishnavati river and Soti river, all originating from the
Aravalli range and flowing from south to north-east direction towards
Yamuna before disappearing in
Mahendragarh district of
Haryana. The culture reached the
Gangetic plain in the early 2nd millennium. Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India discovered copper axes and some pieces of pottery in its excavation at the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture has the potential to be called a proper civilisation (e.g., the North Indian Ochre civilisation) like the Harrapan civilisation, but is termed only as a culture pending further discoveries.
Copper Hoard Culture (2800 – 1500 BCE) in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Copper Hoard culture occur in the northern part of India mostly in hoards large and small and are believed to date to the later 2nd millennium BCE, although very few derive from controlled and dateable excavation contexts. The
doab hoards are associated with the so-called Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) which appears to be closely associated with the
Late Harappan (or Posturban) phase. These hoard artefacts are a main manifestation of the
archaeology of India during the metals age, of which many are deposited in the
"Kanya Gurukul museum" in
Narela and
Haryana.
Gandhara grave culture (1500 – 500 BCE) in Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan , with
river names; the extent of the Swat and
Cemetery H cultures are indicated.
Gandhara grave culture, also called
Swat culture, emerged
c. 1600 BC, and flourished
c. 1500 BC to 500 BC in
Gandhara, which lies in modern-day
Pakistan and
Afghanistan. It may be associated with early
Indo-Aryan speakers as well as the
Indo-Aryan migrations into the
Indian subcontinent, which came from the
Bactria–Margiana region. According to Kochhar, the Indo-Aryan culture fused with indigenous elements of the remnants of the
Indus Valley Civilisation (
OCP,
Cemetery H) and gave rise to the
Vedic Civilization.
Black and red ware culture (1450 – 1200 BCE) in northern and central Indian subcontinent Black and red ware culture (BRW) is a late
Bronze Age and early
Iron Age archaeological culture of the northern and central
Indian subcontinent, associated with the
Vedic civilization. In the Western
Ganges plain (western
Uttar Pradesh) it is dated to c. 1450-1200 BCE, and is succeeded by the
Painted Grey Ware culture; whereas in the Central and Eastern Ganges plain (eastern Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, and
Bengal) and Central India (
Madhya Pradesh) the BRW appears during the same period but continues for longer, until c. 700-500 BCE, when it is succeeded by the
Northern Black Polished Ware culture. In the Western Ganges plain, the BRW was preceded by the
Ochre Coloured Pottery culture. The BRW sites were characterized by
subsistence agriculture (cultivation of rice, barley, and legumes), and yielded some ornaments made of shell, copper,
carnelian, and
terracotta. In some sites, particularly in
eastern Punjab and
Gujarat, BRW pottery is associated with Late
Harappan pottery, and according to some scholars like Tribhuan N. Roy, the BRW may have directly influenced the
Painted Grey Ware and
Northern Black Polished Ware cultures.
Painted Grey Ware (1200 – 600 BCE) in Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Eastern Punjab , Sonkh,
Mathura, c. 1000-600 BCE. The
Painted Grey Ware (PWG) culture is an
Iron Age culture of the western
Gangetic plain and the
Ghaggar-Hakra valley, lasting from roughly 1200 BCE to 600 BCE, which probably corresponds to the middle and late
Vedic period, i.e., the
Kuru-
Panchala kingdom, the first large state in South Asia after the decline of the
Indus Valley civilization. It is a successor of the
Black and red ware culture (BRW) within this region, and contemporary with the continuation of the BRW culture in the eastern Gangetic plain and Central India. Commonly, it consist of domestic forms like cooking pots, and it dates started from 300 BCE and lasted till 1000 CE. But this type of ware also is widely distributed in other places in India. It is found at
Baroda, Timberva (Surat),
Vadnagar, Vala, Prabhas,
Sutrapada, Bhandaria, and many other places. The use of this pottery continued for many centuries. Early on, the scholars considered this pottery as a diagnostic marker for ‘Indo-Roman trade’, showing the possibility of the
Roman empire influence. Also, this type of pottery was identified at sites bordering the
Persian Gulf, so it became significant for the research on the Indian Ocean trade. Red Polished Ware was first identified in 1953 by B. Subbarao. According to him, a "high degree of finish led to consider it as an imported ware or at least an imitation of the
Roman Samian Ware". But in 1966 S. R. Rao in his report on
Amreli rejected this possibility of a Roman influence. He insisted on an indigenous origin as none of the forms shared the shapes of Roman prototype. He presented a broad variety of vessel types consisting of clay suitable to that definition. Instead he referred to a similarity of vessels of Black Ware with polished surface [Black Polished ware] from the same site noted in layers beyond the first occurrence of RPW. According to Heidrun Schenk, the pottery defined as RPW consists of two very distinct functional groups. Thus, the subject needs more precise classification and dating. One group belongs to the local pottery development of a region around Gujarat—mostly domestic vessels like cooking pots. The core area of this group is western India, but it is also distributed elsewhere on the western littoral of the Indian Ocean. The other group are the very specialized types of the 'sprinkler' and 'spouted' water jars, that often go together. This special group is widely found in the eastern region of the Indian Ocean, throughout the South Asian subcontinent and South East Asia with many different fabrics. This group represents a later development continuing well into the Middle Ages. In particular, in
Tissamaharama, in the Southern Province of
Sri Lanka, a good stratigraphy is found. Early Red Polished Ware is often associated with the Northern Black Polished ware (NBP), and goes back to 3rd century BC.
Malwa culture (1600 BCE – 1300 CE) in Madhya Pradesh and north Maharashtra Malwa culture was a
Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in the
Malwa region of Central India and parts of
Maharashtra in the
Deccan Peninsula. It is mainly dated to BCE, but calibrated
radiocarbon dates have suggested that the beginning of this culture may be as early as 2000-1750 BCE. the unique aspect of the Malwa culture is they do not use potter's wheel instead the whole process is done by hand.
Jorwe culture (1000 – 700 BCE) in Maharashtra Jorwe culture was a
Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in large areas of what is now
Maharashtra state in Western
India, and also reached north into the
Malwa region of
Madhya Pradesh. It is named after the
type site of
Jorwe. The early phase of the culture is dated to 1400-1000 BCE, while the late phase is dated to 1000-700 BCE. == Classical Age Pottery and Cultures (c. 500 BCE to 1000 CE) ==