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The archaeological site of Atranjikhera, known for Painted Grey Ware and early iron objects, is located in which district of Uttar Pradesh?
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Answer: Option D — Etah
Detailed Solution
Atranjikhera is an important archaeological site on the banks of the Kali Nadi (East Kali river), in the Etah district of western Uttar Pradesh.
About Atranjikhera:
It was excavated by R. C. Gaur of Aligarh Muslim University between 1962 and 1967.
It shows a long sequence of cultures, from about the 2nd millennium BCE to the early medieval period.
Its main cultural phases:
- Ochre Coloured Pottery (OCP) culture: an early phase, around the 2nd millennium BCE.
- Black-and-Red Ware culture.
- Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture: associated with the later Vedic period.
- Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) culture: associated with the age of the Mahajanapadas and the Mauryas.
- Later historical periods, including the Shunga, Kushana and Gupta periods.
Important finds:
- Iron objects in the Painted Grey Ware levels, such as arrowheads, spearheads, knives, nails and tongs, and evidence of iron smelting.
- These are among the early evidence of iron in the Ganga valley, dated to about 1200-1000 BCE.
- Evidence of rice, barley, wheat and lentils, showing agriculture.
- Mud and mud-brick houses.
Importance:
- Atranjikhera helps historians understand the spread of iron technology and agriculture in the Ganga valley during the later Vedic period.
- It shows the gradual development from village settlements to towns.
Other important Painted Grey Ware sites:
Hastinapur (Meerut district), Ahichchhatra (Bareilly district), Kampil, Mathura, Bhagwanpura (Haryana), Noh (Rajasthan), Jakhera and Kaushambi.
About Painted Grey Ware:
- It is a fine, grey pottery painted with black geometric designs.
- It is found mainly in the upper Ganga valley and the Ghaggar region.
- It is dated roughly to 1200-600 BCE.
About Northern Black Polished Ware:
- It is a glossy, high-quality pottery with a shiny black surface, dated roughly to 700-200 BCE.
- It is associated with the second urbanisation of the Ganga valley.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Meerut has Hastinapur.
- ✗Bareilly has Ahichchhatra.
- ✗Mathura has PGW and later levels.
Quick tip
Remember: Atranjikhera = Etah district, UP (excavated by R. C. Gaur; PGW with early iron objects); PGW = later Vedic (1200-600 BCE); NBPW = 700-200 BCE.
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Vedic Period — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Vedic Period, 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 Vedic period followed the arrival of the Indo-Aryans and is divided into the Early (Rig Vedic) and Later Vedic ages. This topic covers the four Vedas, the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, Vedic society, polity, economy and religion, and the rivers and gods mentioned in Vedic texts. Exams often ask which Veda deals with what (the Sama Veda with music, the Atharva Veda with charms and medicine), the most important Rig Vedic god (Indra), and Vedic assemblies such as the Sabha and Samiti. Note how society changed from the Early to the Later Vedic age, especially the rise of the varna system and the growth of kingship. Practise the Vedic period 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.