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An archaeological survey of the Assam stone jar sites

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Abstract

Stone jars are a unique archaeological phenomenon in Assam, India, with similar features also present in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Indonesia. Sites in Assam were first noted in the early twentieth century, with systematic recording not commencing until 2014 by a collaborative effort from the North-Eastern Hill University, Nagaland University and the Archaeological Survey of India. In a continuation of this effort, this paper presents the results of a 2020 survey across Dima Hasao Province, Assam, India which led to the documentation of four previously unreported megalithic jar sites, growing the number from seven to eleven known jar sites, with ten geolocated. In addition, a general discussion of the known jar sites to date is conducted regarding distribution and jar characteristics.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Smt. Nandita Gorlosa, the Executive member of the Cultural Department, Dima Hasao Autonomous Council for the opportunity in 2020. We are grateful to Mr. Joybonath Kempari, Miss Atashi Maitra, Mr. Pankaj B. Choudhary, Mr. Raamees Raza and Mr. Ziyad Ali B. for their assistance during the field work. We also express our gratitude to the villagers for kindly accommodating us in their villages and providing assistance where needed.

Funding

The 2020 field survey was funded by the Cultural Department, Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, Assam, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History and Archaeology, North Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, India

    Tilok Thakuria

  2. Department of History, Gauhati University, Guwahati, India

    Uttam Bathari

  3. School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, 44 Linneaus Way, Canberra, Australia

    Nicholas Skopal

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  1. Tilok Thakuria
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  2. Uttam Bathari
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  3. Nicholas Skopal
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Correspondence to Tilok Thakuria or Nicholas Skopal.

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Thakuria, T., Bathari, U. & Skopal, N. An archaeological survey of the Assam stone jar sites. asian archaeol 5, 41–50 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41826-022-00043-3

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