Prehistoric Zoology: India
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Prehistoric Zoology
Introduction
The study on the prehistoric and ancient zoological remains collected from the excavated sites of India is of recent origin and commenced from about 1930 onwards. The Prehistoric Zoology Section is really the custodian of the prehistoric animal remains excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India, Directorate of State Archaeology, universities and individuals (chance findings) and other institutions from different prehistoric sites of the Ir:uuan subcontinent The collections are of great scientific value. No duplicates are available in any other organisation in India. The collection comprise both of higher chordate and lower chordate groups of animals, as well as some invertebrate groups. Many renowned scientists of India wo(ked out the collections housed in Z.S.I., such as D. B. Prasad, Col. R. B. S. Sewell, H. C. Ray, B. Nath, S .. Banerjee, H. D. Sankalia, B. S. Guha, J. Espen, etc. At present M. Ghosh, U. Saba, K. D. Saha, S. Roy, etc., are carrying out researches on prehistoric animal remains.
The animal remains found in the excavation' also help us to know the geographical, geo-ecological condition of the bygone. The actual remains combined with the paintings and engravings of the prehistoric man reflects the animal life of the past
Furthermore, study on the prehistoric animal remains excavated from the' various strata of the different sites where civilization flowished during the ancient days helps us in understanding the relations between animals, both domesticated and wild, and man in various cultural sequences, thus providing us with the chronological history of our cultural heritage.
India has been divided into eight broad cultural divisions: 1. Early Stone Age or Palaeolithic culture; 2. Mesolithic culture; 3. Neolithic culture; 4. Indus culture; 5. Chalcolithic cum Neolithic culture; 6. Grey ware and North Black Polish ware culture; 7. Megalithic culture; 8. Early historic culture. .
The oldest of the sites are Mohenjodaro and Harappa (both ca 2500-1500 B.C.) of Indus Valley Civilization. Another older site is Burzahom, which has Neolithic culture (ca 2300 B.C.) and a "Pit dwelling" site of India. The Kitchen midden culture is not very old, in India it is found at the Andaman Islands. In 1974-75 a team of the Zoological Survey of India collected a number of animal shells and bones for study. The latest is the early Historic cultural site from Sarnath (12th century A.D.).
The Prehistoric Zoology Section was established in the Zoological Survey of India, sometimes in 1960. All the collections from the different prehistoric sites were transferred from other departments to this section of the Survey.
Historical Resume
A brief account of the animal remains of a few important prehistoric sites in India and Pakistan are given below:
1. Mohenjodaro (2500-1500 B.C.)-The fust report on the animal remains of the Indus civilization was from Mohenjodaro (Larkana District, Sind, Pakistan). The collection was studied by Sewel and Guha (1931). It represented about 37 species of animals which were Bos indicus Linn. (Cattle); Bubalus bubalis (Linn.) (Buffalo); Ovis sp. (Sheep); Canisfamiliaris Linn. (Dog); Sus scrofa Linn. (Pig); Camelus dromedarius Linn. (Camel); Elephas maximus Linn. (Elephant); Gallus sp. (Fowl); Equus caballus (Horse); these were probably domesticated animals. Herpestes Reproduced from SIal6 0/ Arl R6porl : Zoolol'. 1980 partly updated by M. Ghosh. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. auropunctatus (Hodg.) (Indian Mongoose); Suncus stoliczkanus (And.), (Anderson's shrew); Rattus rattus Linn. (Rat) lived in the vicinity of human habitations. Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin), (Gharial), several species of turtles and tortoises' and fishes of the species Rita rita (Ham. Buch), Wallaga sp., Arius sp., were probably caught and utilised as food. The remains of shells imported for ornaments consist of species of both freshwater and marine molluscs. Remains of Cervus elaphus hanglu (Wag.) (Kashmir Stag), Cervus unicolor Kerr (Sambar), Axis axis (Erxl.), (Chital), Axis porcinus (Zimm.), (Hog deer) etc., were probably imported for medicinal purposes. The people of Mohenjodaro practiced a high grade of domestication of animals and utilized them as food" medicine and ornamentation.
2. Harappa (2500-1500 B.C.)-The next important site of Indus Civilization, situated at Montgomery District, Punjab, now in Pakistan, is Harappa. The animal remains were studied by Prasad (1936). He described 30 species of animals along with their probable ancestries. Several species are the same as in Mohenjodaro.
The occurrence of Rhinoceros unicornis Linn., which lives in marshy and humid forests, indicates that the ecological condition of Punjab in those days were different than that of now. Rhinoceros is not found in tha~ region nowadays. Its presence in those days is very interesting. Prasad also described a new dog from Harappa, known as Canis tenggeranus race harappensis, resembling the original ancestral type of dog found in the Orient in diluvial times which was of the Greyhound type. Nath (1962) also reported the remains of horse (Equus caballus Linn.) and Indian elephant (Elephas maximus Linn.) from Harappa. Ghosh and Saba, have reported two more species, llelichoerus grypus Fabricius (Grey seal) and Gazella subgutturosa Guldenstaedt (persian gazelle) from the remains of Harappa. The remains earlier considered to be of domestic cat by Prasad (1936) are redefined by Ghosh (1982) as of Caracal (Felis caracal Schreiber) and Bengal Fox (Vulpes bengalensis Shaw). 1. Rupar (2000-900 B.C.)-Rupar (Ambala District, Haryana) is another site of Harappan culture. Nath, has found 18 species of animals from this remains, all the them arc similar to those of Harappa and Mohenjodaro except the occurrence of Francolinus fran colin us (Linn.) (Black Partridge) and Bandicota bengalensis Gray &Hardw. 2. Rangpur (2000-800 B.C.)-Rangpur (Ahmedabad District, Gujarat) is also a Harappan cultural site. Nath has described 10 species from these remains. The occurrence of domestic ass (Equus asinus Linn.) is noteworthy. 3. Lothal (2000-1200 B.C.)-Lothal (Ahmedabad District, Gujarat) is a Harappan cultural site. Nath has recorded 23 species of animals from the remains. The presence of Rhinoceros unicornis Linn., Elephas maximus Linn. and Equus cabellus Linn., from the late period of Harappan culture is interesting. 4. Ncvasa (1500-1000 B.C.)-Eapen has worked out the collection from Nevasa (Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra) and found 13 species of animals. The bony remains of the Chalcolithic period of Navasa are mainly domestic catLle and Barasingha (Cervus devauceli Cuv.). There are no remains of pig. 5. Hastinapura (1100 B.C. to 3rd Century A.D.) (Meerut District, U.P.) is also mentioned in the oldest Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Nath has studied and described 13 species of animal remains from this site. The majority of the remains are of domesticated animals. In this period people seem to have been fond of hunting deer, the bones of which were used for style and other decorative objects. 6. Nagarjuna Konda (Neolithic-1200 A.D.)-Nagarjuna Konda (Guntur District, A.P.) has three different cultures, Neolithic, Megalithic and historic. In these three cultures about 30 different ~pecies were found. Bos gaurus H. Smith was found from this site. The remains of a sacrified pony from the'Aswamedh' site of Nagarjuna konda is of a special significance as it throws light on the ritual and cultural practices of descendents of the Ikshuvaku kings who ruled there at that time.
1. Kalibangan-(2000-1500 B.C.)-Kalibangan (Ganganagar District, Rajashthan) is another site of Indus Valley Civilization. Banerjee and Mukherjee identified 29 species of animal remains. Most interesting are the remains of Rhinoceros unicornis Linn., Muntiacus muntjak Zimm. and Axis axis Erxl. The occurrence of these remains from Rajasthan support the idea of their extensive distribution in the earlier days. These animals inhabit swampy land mixed with forest, so their occUlTence in Rajasthan strengthens the geological evidence that the desert conditions of this area is of recent origin. 2. 3. Burzahom (200O--B.C. to 400 A.D.) Burzahom (Kashmir) has different cultural phases from Neolilhic to Early Historic. This is a pit dwelling site in India. From this collection, Banerjee and Ghosh described 12 species of animals. There were 'two different types of dogs. The remains of Bos gaurus H. smith is noteworthy as this is a new record form Kashmir from where they are extinct now. Huge remains of Cervus elaphus hanglu Wagner suggest that the site was once a favourite place of large population of this species, which is becoming rare now-a-clays. This is the only site from where a large number of Neolithic Bone Tools have been recovered. Banerjee and Ghosh identified the species and topographic portion of the bones from which these tools were prepared. 4. Bharatpur (1000 B.C.-•900 A.D.)-Bharatpur is in Burdwan District of West Bengal. The animal remains have been found from Chalcolithic and Iron Age cultures. Banerjee has described 16 species of different groups of animals from the remains. Most interesting is the remains of Bos namadicus Falconer, which probably is the first record from a prehistoric site excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India. 5. Pandu Rajar Dhibi (1012 -1120 B.C.) is a Chalocolithic site situated near the confluence of Ajoy and Kunoor rivers in Burdwan. The site was explored and excavated by the State Archaeology Department, Government of West Bengal, in 1985. Species of fishes, turtles, fowls, foxes, Hog deer and.fann animals like the cattle and buffalo have been identified by Ghosh (1991).
Banerjee (1976) described from the prehistoric animal remains from Mochpal and Susunia both in West Bengal the remains of Bos nomadicus Falconer which is an extinct species; this is considered to be a new record from eastern India. Banerjee and Ghosh (1976) also described the remains of Giraffa cf. cameiopardalis Brisson from S usunia, West Bengal which is believed to be about 20,000 years old. A new subspecies of extinct cattle, Bos namadicus bengalensis has been described by Ghosh (1977) from Mochpal, North 24-Parganas, West Bengal.
Area Covered
The survey for the prehistoric animal remains are carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India. So far collections from about 41 sites have been worked out. They are as follows:
1. Adamgarh; 2. Alamgirpur; 3. Arikamedu; 4. Aurangabad; 5. Bharatpur; 6. Brahmagiri; 7. Burzahom; 8. Harappa; 9. Hastinapur; 10. Jaugada; 11. Jorwe; 12. Kalibangan; 13. Kausambi; 14. Kaveripattanam; 15. Kesavapalli; 16. Kunnattur; 17. Lothal; 18. Mahisadal; 19. Maski; 20. Mohenjodaro; 21. Nagarjunakonda; 22. Nagda; 23. Nevasa; 24. NasH; 25. Probhas; 26. Rajghat; 27. Rangpur; 28. Rupar; 29. Sanur; 30. Samath; 31. Taxilla; 32. Tilorkotkodam; 33. U.ijain. 34. Manglakot; 35. Pandu Rajar Dhibi; 36. Dhulian; 37. Boral; 38. Katasur; 39. Hatikra; 40. Bahiri; 41. Susunia.
The identification and research work on prehistoric animal remains are done in proper systematic and methodical way in this survey. Almost all the excavated material of animal remains of the Archaeological Survey of India have been worked out mostly by the scientists of this departmenL Some work is also being done by the Deccan College, Pune. Areas 10 be explored
The excavation of the prehistoric sites in India is exclusively being carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.). The departmental scientists are sometimes attached witl\ A.S.1. for field observations.
Expertise India
In ZSI
M. Ghosh; U. Saha; K. D. Saha. all of Zoological Survey of India, 'M' Block, New Alipore, Calcutta -700053.
Elsewhere
Ehsanullah Khan, G. V. S. Rao; V. V. Rao, R. V. Joshi, K. R. Alur, D. R. Shaw, G. L. Badam, S. Banerjee, M. L. K. Murthy, &V. N. Mishra.
Abroad
Czyzewaka. T. (Poland); Godynicki, S. (poland); Godynicki, M. (poland); Graczyk, R. (poland); Frackowiak, H. (poland); Khasiecka, V. (poland); Fnasiecka, V. (poland); Oka, Z., (Poland); Prinke, A. (poland); Schramu, Z. (poland); Sofocinska-Jan~szek, J. (poland); Sofocinaki, M. (poland); Josi, M. (Nepal); Stagman, M. (U.S.A.); Groves, C. P. (Australia); Brock, J. C. (U.K.); Allchin, B. (U.K.); Dragoslav Srejovic (Yugoslavakia); Braid wood, R. J. (Iraq); Carrington, R. (London); Wsechter, J. D. A. (U.K.); Zeuner, F. E. {U.K.),Classon, A. T. C. A. Reed (Department of Anthropology, Chicago), I.L. Mason (Edinburg), S. Bok~nyi (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest), Juliet Clutton-Brook (British Museum of Natural History, London).
Selected References
Banerjee, S. et ale 1986. Study of Prehistoric fauna excavated from a kitchen midden in South Andam an , an anthropo -zoological approach. Human Science 35: 334•347. Banerjee, S. &Ghosh, M. 1981. Prehistoric fauna of Kausambi near Allahabad, U.P., India. R~c. zool. Surv. India. 78 : 113•119. Ghosh, M. 1984. The review on the remains of 'domestic cat' from Harappa, Nagda and Nagarjunakonda in Indian subcontinent. Ind. Mus. Bull., vol. XVII, 1982 : 57-61 with plates. G hosh, M. 1991. "Animal remains from the Chalcolithic site at Pandu Rajar Dhibi, Burdwan" In: Studies in Archaeology, (ed.) Asok Dutta. Books &Books, New Delhi. Roy, S. K. &Chakraborty, P. 1985. On the dentition of Domestic goat from. Prehisto.ric sites of India. Rec. zool. Surv.lndia. Occasional Paper No. 68 : 1-44.
