Bambooti Excavation Site: The last Neolithic Age cultural site in Assam with ruins of 3200 years old Kitchen Midden

Bambooti Excavation findings confirm that the tradition of making rice-cakes has been prevalent in Assam for over 3200 years

Prehistoric explorations and excavations are relatively challenging task in a region like northeast, which is marked with special geographical features. It becomes even more difficult when it is conducted in foothills region. On November 10, 2010, an excavation led to addition of a new cultural practice called Bambooti prevalent in pre-historic Assam.

One of the key features of this last Neolithic Stone Age prehistoric site discovered on the lap of Bambooti Hills on the Assam-Meghalaya border near Damra in Goalpara district is the remains of the "kitchen-midden" in large quantities.

Bambooti hills are located about five kilometres east of Damra. To reach this area one need to cross the Dudhnoi river and pass through the village on a narrow road leading along the river. The village Thengasot is home to the Garo and Bodo tribes and Muslim communities. Half of this village falls in Assam and half in Meghalaya. The three streams flowing through the Bambooti hills have been named for the purpose of study as Bambooti Chiring1, Bambooti Chiring 2 and Bambooti Chiring 3. The word Chiring in Garo language means a stream. Bambooti Chiring 3 is a huge repository of prehistoric cultural tools.

If we look at the geographical features of Northeast India, which is uneven and hilly, it becomes important to look at certain aspects while conducting archaeological exploration. Primarily, proper identification of rivers, rivulets and other water sources at the site of exploration, and a preliminary exploration in the banks of such waterbodies and in the adjoining areas, are important. In addition to this, a study on the ethnic communities inhabiting in the adjoining areas, is also crucial. It is always seen that most prehistoric places are found in those localities where water sources are easily available. Secondly, most of the prehistoric locations are found in the of hills with 6°- 7° slopes. The most common inhabiting sites are found to be on those parts of the hills that receive maximum sunlight during the day.

Any prehistoric exploration or excavation is a teamwork with a leader and an efficient team.

Based on these guiding indications, a group consisting of two more research students and seven third semester students of Gauhati University, under the supervision of late Professor Abdullah Ali Ashraf, a renowned archaeologist and anthropologist, identified the Bambooti Prehistoric Site in November 2010 and conducted preliminary experimental excavations. The author of this research paper was also a participant in the excavation and caried out a detailed research work on all objects of cultural value discovered at the excavation site.

The Bambooti Prehistoric site was discovered on the left side of the Bambooti chiring or the stream. The geographical area and longitude of this place are E 090°47:31.7 and N 25°55:28.7. The area adjacent to this site is still cultivated by the local Garo community with a hoe, as plough cultivation is not possible in this low-lying area.

The tools in this part is found in situ, in its original location as the alluvial soil of the sloping part of this hill. Existence of A large quantity of stone and pottery pieces compelled us to carry out experimental excavations here. Altogether 123 stone tools were found during our archaeological exploration and excavation. The main types of these are axes, celts, shouldered axes, bosla, scrapers, or abraders or tool making tool. Existence of large quantity of abraders, particularly, has proved the culture to be ancient. Moreover, existence of large number of broken pieces of tools found here has established that these tools were dumped in the kitchen-midden after prolonged use.

The shouldered celts or axes found at the Bambooti settlement have unveiled a new aspect of the use of these celts. Generally, such tools were believed to have been used for the purposes of farming activities as they were discovered near paddy fields. But this idea cannot be applied to Bambooti, as all Neolithic age tools at the site were found in habitats where they used to live. A close examination of the shape and location of the axes has confirmed that these tools were used for different domestic purposes like vegetable cutting, peeling, and other purposes.

The size of shouldered celts or axes discovered in this culture is much smaller than other parts of Assam or elsewhere in India. This explains that these tools became smaller than actual sizes when they were used for years by rubbing them with abraders. If the size and location of these axes are minutely observed, it can be certainly concluded that these tools were used for domestic purposes. For, these tools have been found in a such a site, that has been identified as a prehistoric kitchen-midden based on the excavation conducted here.

Apart from the stone tools, pottery pieces found glued to the tools are also significant discovery of Bambooti excavation. One of the most notable trenches of the excavation is Trench A3-A4. Broken pottery pieces, stone tools, pieces of embers discovered while digging in this trench, and their existence in low-lying areas, soil samples and the location of the Prehistoric-streams have contributed to the identification of this place as a Kitchen-Midden.

Trench A3-A4

Tools discovered in trench A3-A4 and its soil type, and a hole filled with tools found in a position like they were glued with one-another have identified this trench as a kitchen midden. The location of Prehistoric stream in this trans too, contribute to come to an end of such observation.

Layer 1

The colour of the first layer of Trench A3-A4 is dark brown. Stone tools and pottery have been found in this layer formed with alluvial soil and sand. The depth of this layer is 4 cm.

Layer 2

This layer consists of pottery pieces covered with thick natural cover, quartz and calcareous sand. Red pottery fragments were found at this layer with a depth of 20 cm.

At the end of the final study of these pottery pieces, the types of these pottery are identified as-pitchers, cooking pots, sallow platter, deep platter, cooking bowls, lids, earthen pots and small pitchers. Of all these, the number of cooking pots is the highest. Three of these pottery pieces were sent to Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology located in Dehradun, for determination of time. Testing done by Optical Luminescence Dating method has determined that these pottery pieces date back to a culture of 3200 years old. Moreover, the most noteworthy aspect is that the same platter is still used not only in this region, but also by all tribal/non-tribal people all over Assam for making traditional rice cakes. This proves that the cultural practice of making different delicacies of rice powder on a pottery platter has been prevalent in this part of Northeast India for over 3200 years. The most notable contribution of Bambuti culture is that Neolithic Stone Age lasted in Assam till 3200 years ago, and the culture of making rice-cakes on a pottery-platter was a living culture then.

Dr. Anamika Gogoi Duarah

(Dr. Anamika Gogoi Duarah is an Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology in Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati. She can be reached at anamika.gogoiduarah@avcollege.ac.in)

Photo courtesy-- Dr. Anamika Gogoi Duarah