39-828: Chirand is an archaeological site in the Saran district of Bihar , India, situated on the northern bank of the Ganga River . It has a large pre-historic mound which is known for its continuous archaeological record from the Neolithic age (about 2500–1345 BC) to the reign of the Pal dynasty who ruled during the pre-medieval period. The excavations in Chirand have revealed stratified Neolithic, Chalcolithic , and Iron Age settlements, and transitions in human habitation patterns dating from 2500 BC to 30 AD. The river Ghaghara joins Ganga
78-564: A carp and two types of turtles . Bones of birds and fish were also found. Faunal finds indicate that the area was forested over an undulating topography. 25,000 potsherds excavated from Chirand are grouped according to the Period II Neolithic pottery appearing more refined than the Period I pottery, all from smoothed clay mixed with mica. Most of the pottery was hand made. Some vessels were made by turn table or dabbing. Half of
117-494: A Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and that will contain both locational information and a combination of various information. This tool is very helpful to archaeologists who want to explore in a different area and want to see if anyone else has done research. They can use this tool to see what has already been discovered. With this information available, archaeologists can expand their research and add more to what has already been found. Traditionally, sites are distinguished by
156-463: A semicircular hut. The white colour of the soil around the hearth and the ovens found at the site pointed to animal meat roasted in the ovens, likely for community feeding. Rice was a staple food. Mud boundary walls of houses were traced. Burnt chunks of clay with reed or bamboo impressions suggest that houses were destroyed by fire. Houses were larger in size in the Chalcolithic period compared to
195-683: A sequence of natural geological or organic deposition, in the absence of human activity, to constitute a site worthy of study. Archaeological sites usually form through human-related processes but can be subject to natural, post-depositional factors. Cultural remnants which have been buried by sediments are, in many environments, more likely to be preserved than exposed cultural remnants. Natural actions resulting in sediment being deposited include alluvial (water-related) or aeolian (wind-related) natural processes. In jungles and other areas of lush plant growth, decomposed vegetative sediment can result in layers of soil deposited over remains. Colluviation ,
234-461: A short distance away from the village, near Revelganj . The Sone River also joins Ganga about a few kilometres away from Chirand. About 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the north of the mound there is a dry river bed which is inferred as one of the meandering dry loops of the Gandaki River . Thus, there are four rivers in the vicinity of Chirand. The village has undergone erosion due to which
273-453: A site worthy of study. Different archaeologists may see an ancient town, and its nearby cemetery as being two different sites, or as being part of the same wider site. The precepts of landscape archaeology attempt to see each discrete unit of human activity in the context of the wider environment, further distorting the concept of the site as a demarcated area. Furthermore, geoarchaeologists or environmental archaeologists would also consider
312-482: A small number of artifacts are thought to reflect a lack of past human activity. Many areas have been discovered by accident. The most common people who have found artifacts are farmers who are plowing their fields or just cleaning them up, and they often find archaeological artifacts. Many people who are out hiking and even pilots find artifacts, and they usually end up reporting them to archaeologists for further investigation. When they find sites, they have to first record
351-423: A variety of colors, including white , brown , black (purple when cooked), and red . A third subspecies, which is broad-grained and thrives under tropical conditions, was identified based on morphology and initially called javanica , but is now known as tropical japonica . Examples of this variety include the medium-grain 'Tinawon' and 'Unoy' cultivars, which are grown in the high-elevation rice terraces of
390-500: Is a branch of survey becoming more and more popular in archaeology, because it uses different types of instruments to investigate features below the ground surface. It is not as reliable because although they can see what is under the surface of the ground, it does not produce the best picture. Archaeologists still have to dig up the area in order to uncover the truth. There are also two most common types of geophysical survey, which is, magnetometer and ground penetrating radar. Magnetometry
429-414: Is lanceolate, 15–30 cm ( 5 + 7 ⁄ 8 – 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 in) long, and grows from a ligule 10–20 mm ( 3 ⁄ 8 – 3 ⁄ 4 in) long. The generic name Oryza is a classical Latin word for rice, while the specific epithet sativa means "cultivated". Oryza sativa contains two major subspecies: the sticky, short-grained japonica or sinica variety, and
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#1732773086361468-418: Is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record . Sites may range from those with few or no remains visible above ground, to buildings and other structures still in use. Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a "site" can vary widely, depending on
507-629: Is the technique of measuring and mapping patterns of magnetism in the soil. It uses an instrument called a magnetometer, which is required to measure and map traces of soil magnetism. The ground penetrating radar is a method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures. There are many other tools that can be used to find artifacts, but along with finding artifacts, archaeologists have to make maps. They do so by taking data from surveys, or archival research and plugging it into
546-494: The Cordillera Mountains of northern Luzon , Philippines. Glaszmann (1987) used isozymes to sort O. sativa into six groups: japonica , aromatic , indica , aus , rayada , and ashina . Garris et al. (2004) used simple sequence repeats to sort O. sativa into five groups: temperate japonica , tropical japonica and aromatic comprise the japonica varieties, while indica and aus comprise
585-409: The indica varieties. The Garris scheme has held up against newer analyses as of 2019, though one 2014 article argues that rayada is distinct enough to be its own group under japonica . SPL14 / LOC4345998 is a gene that regulates the overall architecture / growth habit of the plant. Some of its epialleles increase rice yield. An accurate and usable simple sequence repeat marker set
624-571: The Chirand mound 1962–63 and returned for more 1970–71. The mound is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in length. The Neolithic deposits uncovered a layer of 3.5 metres (11 ft) thickness. The civilization includes area in India and South Asia that dates back to the Neolithic age according to archaeological finds from this village mound and four other locations in India. Chirand Neolithic group occupied
663-476: The Ganga river. The Nonia tola in the village was in imminent danger of getting submerged. In 2010, protection of the part of the village exposed to erosion was envisaged by way of stone pitching. The Chirand village, as per 2011 census, has a population of 2971 comprising 520 families. The male population is 1600 while that of females is 1371. Literacy rate is 61.09 % of the village compared to 61.80 % of
702-401: The Neolithic people. The human female figurines possibly relate to either a mother goddess, a goddess of fertility, or both. Ornaments made from tortoise and ivory were also found. A painted motif of the sacred peepal leaf ( Ficus religiosa ) was found. A foot stand of large sarcophagus indicates mortuary rites of the Neolithic people. An annual fair is held in Chirand during the last day of
741-442: The Neolithic period, made of reeds and bamboo with mud plaster and flooring of fired earth. A circular hearth and a few post-holes were also found. The Neolithic stone implements of celts were found. Axes found were made of quartzite , basalt and granite . The finds included nine types of microliths . Waste flakes found in the area indicate prevalence of the process of manufacture in a well established microlithic industry in
780-433: The area of the village. The average annual rainfall in the area is 125 centimetres (49 in). Much of the rainfall occurs from June to September when the monsoons tend to start. The Ganga River tends to flow beyond capacity causing flooding and deposition of alluvium in the adjoining area. Part of the village, including about 10 metres (33 ft) of the mound, have been subject to submergence and river erosion caused by
819-665: The area that included chert , chalcedony , agate and jasper , derived from the dry river bed of the Son river. The final products in the collection are stone discs in long, cylindrical and triangular shapes. Pendants, ear-rings, bangles, discs and combs from the Neolithic period were found. 400 bone tools, mostly used for hunting, made from antler and long bones of deer and cattle were found in Chirand and at Burzahom from Period II and Period III. Terracotta figurines included humped bulls, birds, snakes, and human female figurines. The snake figures are indicative of existence of Naga cult among
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#1732773086361858-583: The area, and if they have the money and time for the site, they can start digging. There are many ways to find sites, one example can be through surveys. Surveys involve walking around analyzing the land and looking for artifacts. It can also involve digging, according to the Archaeological Institute of America, "archaeologists actively search areas that were likely to support human populations, or in places where old documents and records indicate people once lived." This helps archaeologists in
897-428: The burial of a site by sediments moved by gravity (called hillwash ) can also happen at sites on slopes. Human activities (both deliberate and incidental) also often bury sites. It is common in many cultures for newer structures to be built atop the remains of older ones. Urban archaeology has developed especially to deal with these sorts of site. Many sites are the subject of ongoing excavation or investigation. Note
936-538: The difference between archaeological sites and archaeological discoveries. Oryza sativa Oryza sativa , having the common name Asian cultivated rice , is the much more common of the two rice species cultivated as a cereal , the other species being O. glaberrima , African rice. It was first domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in China 13,500 to 8,200 years ago. Oryza sativa belongs to
975-410: The disadvantage (or the benefit) of having its sites defined by the limits of the intended development. Even in this case, however, in describing and interpreting the site, the archaeologist will have to look outside the boundaries of the building site. According to Jess Beck in "How Do Archaeologists Find Sites?" the areas with numerous artifacts are good targets for future excavation, while areas with
1014-420: The future. In case there is no time or money during the site's discovery, archaeologists can come back and visit the site for further digging to find out the extent of the site. Archaeologist can also sample randomly within a given area of land as another form of conducting surveys. Surveys are very useful, according to Jess Beck, "it can tell you where people were living at different points in the past." Geophysics
1053-447: The genus Oryza and the BOP clade in the grass family Poaceae . With a genome consisting of 430 Mbp across 12 chromosomes , it is renowned for being easy to genetically modify and is a model organism for the study of the biology of cereals and monocots . O. sativa has an erect stalk stem that grows 80–120 cm (30–45 in) tall, with a smooth surface. The leaf
1092-426: The month of Kartik (October–November) at a location known as Chyavana-asrama. The state government proposed an annual festival titled 'Chirand Mahotsava' with the support of Chirand Vikas Parishad. A theme park depicting the different civilizations of Chirand is currently being planned. Archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity
1131-601: The mound abutting the Ganga River bank is exposed, revealing brick features and potsherds. On the top of the mound there is a mosque , which was built by Sultan Abul Muzaffar Hussain Shah of Bengal in 1503 AD. This mosque reveals ruins of pilasters of Hindu temples. Chirand is located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Chhapra , the district headquarters in the state of Bihar. The Archaeological Survey of India controls about 0.5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi) of
1170-762: The nonsticky, long-grained indica [ zh ] [ ja ] rice variety. Japonica was domesticated in the Yangtze Valley 9–6,000 years ago, and its varieties can be cultivated in dry fields (it is cultivated mainly submerged in Japan), in temperate East Asia, upland areas of Southeast Asia, and high elevations in South Asia, while indica was domesticated around the Ganges 8,500–4,500 years ago, and its varieties are mainly lowland rices, grown mostly submerged, throughout tropical Asia. Rice grain occurs in
1209-441: The period studied and the theoretical approach of the archaeologist. It is almost invariably difficult to delimit a site. It is sometimes taken to indicate a settlement of some sort, although the archaeologist must also define the limits of human activity around the settlement. Any episode of deposition, such as a hoard or burial, can form a site as well. Development-led archaeology undertaken as cultural resources management has
Chirand - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-724: The plains, while their contemporaries inhabited the plateaus and hills. The occupational categorization in Chirand covers three periods – Period I Neolithic (2500–1345 BC), Period II Chalcolithic (1600 B.C) and Period III Iron Age . Carbon dating of the top layer of the Neolithiic period dates the layer between 1910 BC and 1600 BC. The lowest level of the finds date to 200 BC. Neolithic people experienced an economy that included hunting, gathering, fishing and animal rearing. Paddy husk impressions in some potsherds indicate Neolithic involvement in cultivating rice and cereals such as wheat, moong, masoor, and barley. Both cultivated and wild rice
1287-607: The potsherds are red ware and half are black and red ware from different shapes and sizes of vases, bowls, and knobbed pottery. Pot wares in varying designs in post-firing painting technique in ochre colour, generally of grey ware and few in red-ware were also found. The Chalcolithic pottery unearthed at the site are of black and red ware pots and pans. Neolithic people lived in circular wattle and daub huts made of mud and reeds with rammed floors. Earlier hut floors were built below ground level, later hut floors were built at ground level. Hearths and oblong shaped ovens were found in
1326-471: The presence of both artifacts and features . Common features include the remains of hearths and houses. Ecofacts , biological materials (such as bones, scales, and even feces) that are the result of human activity but are not deliberately modified, are also common at many archaeological sites. In the cases of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, a mere scatter of flint flakes will also constitute
1365-405: The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea is provided by various resistance genes including Pi1 , Pi54 , and Pita . O. sativa uses the plant hormones abscisic acid and salicylic acid to regulate immune responses. Salicylic acid broadly stimulates, and abscisic acid suppresses, immunity to M. grisea ; success depends on the balance between their levels. O. sativa has
1404-494: The state. The Pal dynasty ruled the region that included Chirand during the medieval period. Ananda , a disciple of Buddha , died in Chirand. King Mayurdhwaj of the Chero dynasty ruled from Chirand. W.W. Hunter , a historian known for publishing nine volumes of The Imperial Gazetteer of India , has recorded an account of this village which he visited in 1871. The Bihar State Directorate of Archaeology conducted excavations at
1443-843: Was developed and used to generate a high-density map . A multiplex high-throughput marker assisted selection system has been developed but as with other crop HTMAS systems has proven difficult to customize, costly (both directly and for the equipment), and inflexible. Other molecular breeding tools have produced rice blast resistant cultivars. DNA microarray has been used to advance understanding of hybrid vigor in rice, QTL sequencing has been used to elucidate seedling vigor, and genome wide association study (GWAS) by whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been used to investigate various agronomic traits . In total, 641 copy number variations are known. Exome capture often reveals new single nucleotide polymorphisms in rice, due to its large genome and high degree of DNA repetition. Resistance to
1482-407: Was harvested during summer and again during winter. The wild forms of rice are Oryza rifipogon and Oryza perennis , from which Oryza sativa (Asian rice) originated. The archaeological finds in Chirand are from a Neolithic deposit of 3.5 metres (11 ft) thickness, a Chalcolithic layer 5.5 metres (18 ft) thick and iron age formation of 2.45 metres (8 ft 0 in) thickness. Copper
1521-420: Was used during the Chalcolithic period, while iron was found in the upper strata. A cache of 88 Kushan period coins were unearthed at the site. Analysis of antiquities related to skeletal remains revealed 12 species of domesticated and wild animals: cattle, buffaloes ( Bubalisbubalis linn ), sheep ( Ovis aries ), cheetal ( Axis axis ), barasinga , pig , elephant , rhinoceros , cheetal ( Axis axia ), dog,
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