Pandu culture

The type site is Pandu Rajar Dhibi, where black and red ware and tools made from bone and copper were found alongside remains of human body.

It extends from the foothills of the Chota Nagpur Plateau to the Bhāgirathi-Hooghly river basin, covering a considerable part of southwestern or Rarh and coastal regions of modern-day West Bengal; from Birbhum in the north to Purba Medinipur in the south.

Major settlements during the peak phase of this Chalcolithic culture (1000 BC) include Pandu Rajar Dhibi, Mahisdal, Mangalkot, Bharatpur, Dihar, Baneshwardanga, Pakhanna and Tamluk.

[5] It was centered on the Mayurakshi, Ajay, Kunur, Damodar, Dwarakeswar and Rupnarayan river valleys, as well as extending south to the sea coast.

[6] Its historical center or core lay around the confluence of the Ajay and Kunur rivers, the area where most of the archaeological sites have been discovered.

[7] The valleys of the rivers originating from the Chotanagpur plateau and the Rajmahal hills where the culture flourished, had fertile farmland and availability of water, which created favorable conditions for agriculture in the region.

The houses were doubtless built of simple and perishable materials, and the presence of large quantities of ash on the floors indicates their fire hazard.

Agriculture was the main occupation of the people of this Copper Age culture, which is evident from the presence of large quantities of burnt rice in the mounds of the Pandu kings and at Mahishdal.

Among the red wares were bowls with round holes, tumblers (large drinking vessels), lotas (small water pots) and storage jars.

For red wares decoration, dots and 'dashes' (-), brackets (parallel, vertical and horizontal), pointed triangles, ladders, square designs etc.

[11][9][10] A few terracotta figurines have been recovered from archaeological sites belonging to this culture, including one at Rajar Dhibi and two at Mahishdal.