PREHISTORIC KASHMIR: UNRAVELING THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF NEOLITHIC ARTIFACTS

Abstract

In the present paper, we have carried out a systematic study of the important archaeological remains recovered from the Neolithic sites in the Kashmir valley that were excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is also evident from the earlier studies carried out by various Scholars that more than fifty-five Neolithic sites were discovered in the Jammu and Kashmir region, and two in the Ladakh region. The Neolithic remains were found at nine sites during the field work but among these only four Neolithic sites were systematically excavated extensively. These are Burzahom, Gufkral, Simthan and Kanispur. The archaeological artifacts reported from these Neolithic sites in the Kashmir valley were mainly pottery, terracotta objects, metal objects, stone objects, paste Objects and semi-precious stones. In the present paper, an analytical estimation of Neolithic culture such as the structural remains, ceramic assemblages, metal objects, terracotta objects, shell objects, bone objects, and stone objects are studied. The information provided in the present paper about the Neolithic culture in Kashmir is based on the excavations of these four Neolithic archaeological sites in Kashmir Valley such as Burzahom, Gufkral, Simthan and Kanispur. Many other Neolithic settlements are reported in the Kashmir valley which are still waiting for the excavation.