Belan valley
Topic: Prehistory: Human Origins and Stone Age Cultures · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Belan valley lies along the Belan river in Prayagraj (Allahabad) district of Uttar Pradesh. Its sites show human life in layers, one stage on top of the next: Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), then Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), then Neolithic (New Stone Age). This makes it one of the best places in India to see how people moved from hunting to farming. It is also important for early evidence of rice and of tamed cattle.
Example
Koldihwa in the Belan valley gave early evidence of rice cultivation. Nearby Mahagara showed a cattle pen, which is an enclosure for keeping animals. Both are Neolithic sites.
Don't confuse with
- Mehrgarh: Mehrgarh, on the Bolan river in Pakistan (c. 7000 BCE), is known for wheat and barley. The Belan valley sites in the Ganga plains are known for rice.
Related concepts
- Palaeolithic age
- Acheulian tradition
- Handaxe
- Attirampakkam
- Isampur
- Hunsgi valley
- Pallavaram
- Didwana
- Soanian culture
- Hathnora