Ahar-Banas culture
| Geographical range | South Asia |
|---|---|
| Period | Bronze Age (black and red ware culture) |
| Dates | c. 3000 – c. 1500 BCE |
| Type site | Settlement |
| Major sites | in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Characteristics | Contemporary of Indus Valley Civilisation, Ochre Coloured Pottery, Cemetery H |
| Preceded by | Chalcolithic |
| Followed by | Black and red ware culture, Vedic Period |
The Ahar culture, also known as the Banas culture is a Chalcolithic archaeological culture of southeastern Rajasthan state in India, lasting from c. 3000 to 1500 BCE, contemporary and adjacent to the Indus Valley Civilization. Situated along the Banas and Berach Rivers, as well as the Ahar River, the Ahar-Banas people were exploiting the copper ores of the Aravalli Range to make axes and other artefacts. They were sustained on a number of crops, including wheat and barley.
More than 90 sites of the Ahar culture have been identified to date. The main distribution seems to be concentrated in the river valleys of Banas and its tributaries. A number of sites with Ahar culture level are also found from Jawad, Mandsaur, Kayatha and Dangwada in Madhya Pradesh state. In Rajasthan, most of the sites are located in Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, Ajmer, Tonk and Bhilwara districts, which include, Ahar, Gilund, Bansen, Keli, Balathal, Alod, Palod, Khor, Amoda, Nangauli, Champakheri, Tarawat, Fachar, Phinodra, Joera, Darauli, Gadriwas, Purani Marmi, Aguncha and Ojiyana.
In 2003 excavations at Gilund, archaeologists discovered a large cache of seal impressions dating to 2100-1700 BC. A large bin filled with more than 100 seal impressions was found by a team led by archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum and the Deccan College (Pune).
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