Langhnaj
Topic: Prehistory: Human Origins and Stone Age Cultures · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Langhnaj is a Mesolithic site in Mehsana district, north Gujarat. Hunter-gatherers camped there on sand dunes near small lakes that filled with water in the rainy season. The site has microliths (tiny stone tools), animal bones and human burials. It shows how people lived by hunting, fishing and gathering after the Ice Age ended, c. 12,000 years ago.
Example
At Langhnaj, archaeologist H.D. Sankalia found human skeletons buried in the dunes. Microliths and bones of wild animals such as deer, wild pig and rhinoceros were found with them. These finds show a hunting camp next to a seasonal lake.
Don't confuse with
- Lothal, also in Gujarat, is a much later Harappan port town with brick buildings. Langhnaj is a simple Mesolithic hunter-gatherer camp.
Related concepts
- Mesolithic age
- Microliths
- Bagor
- Adamgarh
- Sarai Nahar Rai
- Mahadaha and Damdama
- Lakhudiyar
- Konkan petroglyphs