User:Tsulkalu/sandbox

The archaeological site of Ahar is the namesake of the Ahar-Banas culture. The earliest reference to the site comes from James Tod and the site was subsequently visited by other archaeologists, including A.C.L. Carlyle in 1879 who primarily surveyed the area. The first archaeological excavations were carried out by M.S. Vats in 1924-25. Further excavations by R.C. Gaur discovered three main forms of pottery; red ware, gray ware, and medieval. The pottery of Ahar can be divided into three broad phases. The first phase saw pottery with a coarse fabric and which were only polished on the exterior. In the second phase, the fabric became finer and the pottery's interior and exterior were polished. The pots were painted usually painted white, though some were black, with parallel lines and dots. The third and final phase saw change in the pottery as well as the introduction of a different pottery tradition, a black painted red ware with a slipped surface. In addition to pottery, Ahar has many other artifacts made from various materials. A site report from an Ahar excavation mentions the presence of terra-cotta objects such as pendants, copper tools, as well as objects made from stone such as stone balls, hammer stones,and mace heads.