Sanauli

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India’s largest known ancient burial site

Rohan Dua, February 22, 2020: The Times of India

Sanauli: India's largest known ancient burial site
From: Rohan Dua, February 22, 2020: The Times of India

Carbon dating tests have confirmed that India’s largest known necropolis in UP’s Sanauli — where 126 burials have been discovered until now — is 3,800 years old. The elaborate burials, which included underground chambers, decorated legged coffins and rice in pots buried with the bodies, belong to an indigenous warrior tribe which inhabited the region, according to the Archaeological Survey of India.

Excavations in Sanauli, 68 km from Delhi in UP’s Baghpat, began in 2005 and resumed in 2018, leading to discovery of horse-drawn chariots, burials, four-legged wooden coffins, pottery, a copper antenna sword and war shields. ASI joint director S K Manjul, who led the excavations, told TOI carbon dating has confirmed the burials date back to 1,900 BC, with a margin of 300 years.

Between ’05-06, 116 burials were discovered

Between 2005 and 2006, 116 burials were found while 10 more were discovered in the last two years, making it India’s largest known necropoli,.” Manjul said. The burial pits had legged coffins along with systematically arranged vases, bowls and pots. One of the coffins was decorated with eight anthropomorphic figures.

A recent report submitted by the Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences in Lucknow to the ASI had said that there are two C-14 (carbon dating) dates — 3815 and 3500, with a margin of error of 130 years — for the Sanauli site. It added, “Carbon dating marks this site as an earliest history of a warrior tribe in the Indian subcontinent (sic).”

While the Deccan College, Pune, and a lab in Hyderabad conducted DNA tests of the human remains, samples were also sent to the Lucknow institute. Scientific techniques such as photogrammetry and ground penetrating radar survey were used while drones and magnetometers were also deployed.

Details

T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A royal wooden coffin and alongside it two chariots adjacent to each other excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India at Sanauli. The chassis of the chariots was made of wood and covered with thick copper sheets. The frame was made of copper pipes, including one for attaching an umbrella. ;
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

An aerial view of the excavated site at Sanauli showing some of the burials.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A close-up of the anthropomorphic figure on the coffin lid depicting headgear made of horn and a pipal leaf in the centre. However, another expert view is that the carving is of a bull head.

Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

The royal coffin burial being exposed bit by bit and studied by Sanjay Manjul (standing), Director of the excavation, and Arvin Manjul (squatting) Superintending Archaeologist, ASI. Also seen is Ambiliy C.S. (right), Assistant Archaeologist, ASI. The coffin stands on four legs and was made of wood. The entire coffin, including the legs, was sheathed with copper on all sides. The lid had eight motifs carved on it (close-up at left). Later stages of the excavation revealed two full-sized chariots, helmets, a copper ladle, big pots and beads as funerary objects.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

One of the two full-sized chariots found near the royal wooden coffin. The chariots are themselves extraordinary finds. The wooden chariots had wheels with copper triangles fastened on them with copper nails. The triangles emanated in three rows radiating from the centre.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A copper antenna sword and a copper sword (foreground) with a wooden hilt wound with copper wire.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A copper antenna sword and a copper torch with a long handle. These remarkable artefacts of the copper hoard culture were found in two different burials.
Photo: T.S. Subramanian
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

An almost intact skeleton of a tall woman found in a coffin burial. The coffin does not have copper sheathing around it and has only a thin antenna sword placed on the ground near the head. An armlet made of agate beads can be made out around an elbow. The pit boasted a variety of pottery, including pots, red vases, bowls and basins.
Photo: T.S. Subramanian
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

Fragmented bones found in one of the coffin burials. This signifies a secondary burial, in which the body is exposed to the elements and the bones that remain are buried in a grave.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A cylindrical carnelian bead measuring 5 cm.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

Several necklaces made of cylindrical steatite beads found in one of the burials.
Photo: T.S. Subramanian
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

Gold beads found in a grave.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A small coffin burial that boasted a full-sized chariot, big pots, red vases with tall necks and flared rims, a copper shield, a copper ladle with a long stem, a torch, an antenna sword and hundreds of beads. A helmet made of copper was found upturned on the ground at the base of the coffin. The artefacts show that a warrior tribe thrived here between 2000 BCE and 1800 BCE.
Photo: T.S. Subramanian
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

Grave goods such as the decorated comb with a peacock motif on top and a copper mirror are important in understanding the life of the people of Sanauli in 2000 BCE.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu

A heap of 2-cm-long copper nails.
Photo: Archaeological Survey of India
From: T.S. SUBRAMANIAN, The Hindu