SSC
Koldihwa, a Neolithic site that has given early evidence of rice cultivation, is located in:
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Answer: Option D — Uttar Pradesh
Detailed Solution
Koldihwa is a Neolithic-Chalcolithic site in the southern part of Uttar Pradesh, near the Vindhyan hills.
About Koldihwa:
- It was excavated in the 1970s by archaeologists of the University of Allahabad.
- It is famous for its evidence of early rice.
- Rice husks were found embedded in pottery (mixed into the clay as temper), and some grains were found as well.
- The excavators claimed very early dates for this rice, going back to the 7th or 6th millennium BCE.
- These early dates have been questioned by many scholars, and the rice at the site may belong to a later period.
- Still, Koldihwa is often cited in exams as one of the earliest sites with evidence of rice in India.
Other finds:
- Polished stone tools (celts), microliths, bone tools.
- Round huts.
- Cord-impressed handmade pottery.
Early rice in India:
- Rice was domesticated in different parts of Asia.
- In India, early evidence of rice comes from several sites in the middle Ganga valley.
- The Harappans also used rice at some sites in Gujarat.
- Rice became a major crop in the Ganga valley during the later Vedic period and after.
About Neolithic sites in India:
- North-west: Mehrgarh (Pakistan).
- Vindhyas and middle Ganga valley: Koldihwa, Chirand, Senuwar.
- South India: Utnur, Piklihal, Brahmagiri, Maski, Sanganakallu.
- Eastern India: Kuchai (Odisha).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bihar has Neolithic sites such as Senuwar.
- ✗Odisha has Kuchai and other sites.
- ✗West Bengal has other prehistoric sites, but Koldihwa is in Uttar Pradesh.
Quick tip
Remember: Koldihwa = Uttar Pradesh (Vindhyan region; early evidence of rice, though its very early dates are debated).
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Indus Valley Civilisation — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indus Valley Civilisation, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation was one of the world's earliest urban civilisations, flourishing around 2500-1900 BCE. This topic covers its major sites, town planning, drainage, seals, script, trade, crafts, religious beliefs and the theories about its decline. Questions mostly link a site to its feature or its present-day location: the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, the dockyard at Lothal (Gujarat), the ploughed field at Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and the water reservoirs at Dholavira. Remember that Harappa was the first site excavated, by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921, and that the Harappan script has still not been deciphered. Practise the Indus Valley Civilisation questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.