The Ahar culture, also known as the Banas culture is a Chalcolithic archaeological culture

Archaeological culture

An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...

 of southeastern Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

 state in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, lasting from 3000 to 1500 BCE, contemporary and adjacent to the Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...

. Situated along the Banas and Berach River

Berach River

The Berach River, a tributary of the Banas River, is a river of Rajasthan state in western India. The Berach originates in the hills of Udaipur District, northeast of Udaipur city. The river has a length of 157 km, and drains a basin of 7,502 km². It flows northeast through Udaipur, Chittorgarh and...

s, the Ahar-Banas people were exploiting the copper ores of the Aravalli Range

Aravalli Range

The Aravalli Range literally meaning 'line of peaks', is a range of mountains in western India and eastern Pakistan running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat and Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh...

 to make axes and other artefacts. They were sustained on a number of crops, including wheat and barley.

Geographical extent

More than 90 sites of the Ahar culture have been identified till 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

Jawad

Jawad is a gorgeous person and a kitten panchayat in Neemuch district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.- History :Jawad is one from khandi khan name...

, Mandsaur

Mandsaur

Mandsaur or Mandsour is a city in the Malwa region and district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mandsaur District.-Origin of name:...

, Kayatha and Dangwada in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

 state. In Rajasthan, most of the sites are located in Udaipur

Udaipur district

Udaipur District is one of the 33 districts of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Udaipur is the administrative headquarters of the district....

, Chittorgarh

Chittorgarh district

Chittorgarh District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Chittorgarh is the administrative headquarters of the district....

, Dungarpur

Dungarpur district

Dungarpur District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Dungarpur is the district headquarters.-Geography:Dungarpur lies in 23° 8' N latitude and 73° 7' E longitude. The district has an area of 3,770 km². The district is roughly triangular in shape...

, Banswara

Banswara district

Banswara District has an area of 5,037 km², 1.47% of Rajasthan state, India. The city of Banswara is the district headquarters. It is bounded on the north by Udaipur District, on the northeast by Chittorgarh District, on the east and southeast by Madhya Pradesh state, on the southwest by...

, Ajmer

Ajmer district

Ajmer District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Ajmer is the district headquarters.Ajmer District has an area of 8,481 km², and a population of 2,180,526 ,Three main groups are; Hindu 1,869,044, Muslim 244,341, Jains 47,812...

, Tonk

Tonk District

Tonk District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Tonk is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is bounded on the north by Jaipur district, on the east by Sawai Madhopur district, on the southeast by Kota district, on the south by Bundi...

 and Bhilwara

Bhilwara district

Bhilwara District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Bhilwara is the district headquarters.-Geography and demographics:...

 districts, which include, Ahar, Gilund

Gilund

Gilund is a village and an archaeological site located in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan state in western India. It is one of five ancient sites excavated in the Ahar-Banas Complex which also includes the sites of Ahar, Ojiyana, Marmi, and Balathal....

, Bansen, Keli, Balathal

Balathal

Balathal is an archaeological site located in Vallabhnagar tehsil of Udaipur district of Rajasthan state in western India. The Kataranadi River is very close to the site and archaeologists believe there may have been another large body of water that existed but has since become dry.This site,...

, Alod, Palod, Khor, Amoda, Nangauli, Champakheri, Tarawat, Fachar, Phinodra, Joera, Darauli, Gadriwas, Purani Marmi, Aguncha and Ojiyana.

Ceramic assemblage

The typical Ahar pottery is a Black-and-Red ware (BRW) with linear and dotted designs painted on it in white pigment and has limited range of shapes, which include bowls, bowls-on-stands, elongated vases and globular vases. The Ahar culture also had equally distinctive brightly slipped Red Ware, a Tan ware, as well as ceramics in Burnished Black incised Thin Red ware and incised and otherwise decorated Gray ware fabrics.