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Balathal is an archaeological site located in Vallabhnagar tehsil of Udaipur district of Rajasthan state in western India. It is one of the ninety Ahar-culture sites located in the Basins of the Banas river and its tributaries. The excavations at Balathal produced evidence as to the origin of early farming community of Central India and brought about traces of infant urbanization. There is also strong indications of a class-structured society and craft specialization. This site, located 6 km from Vallabhnagar town and 42 km from Udaipur city, was discovered by V. N. Misra during a survey in 1962-63. It was excavated from 1994 to 2000, jointly by the Department of Archaeology of the Deccan College Post-graduate and Research Institute, Pune and the Institute of Rajasthan Studies, Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur under the direction of V. N. Misra of the Deccan College.[1] Balathal is one of the important sites in Mewar region of Rajasthan. The extensive excavations carried out at the site have produced vast amounts of data.This ancient site was occupied during two cultural periods: the Chalcolithic and the Early Historic.

Chalcolithic Phase (3000-1500 B.C.):

Chalcolithic Period is characterised partially by its well planned structures. Evidence from this era that was found includes: Evidence from this era that was found includes: clay, stone, shell, and copper objects, as well as floral and animal remains.

After the Chalcolithic phase, Balathal was abandoned for a long time until the Early Historic phase of the site’s activity.

Early Historic Phase (5-3 B.C.):

The most compelling evidence found from the Early Historic period is that of iron working in the form of furnaces with nails, arrowheads, etc.

Site Catchment Analysis:

A site catchment analysis, or method of reconstructing the economy of a site by studying the resources available within a reasonable distance, of Balathal has helped to better understand the reason behind the site location as well as the interaction with other sites in the area. Balathal is situated between the two other important sites of Ahar culture (Gilund and Ahar). Evidence shows that it is very likely that trade has taken place between the sites, at was of economic exchange of goods.

It has been determined that the people practiced agro-pastoralism, which is a mixture of both farming and herding animals. Balathal is part of the Ahar-Banas Complex and can be connected to other Ahar-Banas culture sites through artifacts that have been discovered. Some of the pottery from Balathal was locally produced, while other types found at Balathal came from other sites in the Ahar-Banas Complex.