S26-9

From Stone Tools to Stone Jars: An Overview of the Archaeology of North Cachar Hills, Assam

Nisha Rani Das & K. Krishnan

Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India

The North Cachar Hills have been instrumental in determining the origins of Assam's culture. From the first prehistoric site to the exploration of subsequent cultures, the area yielded a wealth of information indicating human activity. North Cachar Hill falls within the present Dima Hasao District, the only hill district of Assam, where Austro-Asian and Austro-Mongoloid tribes co-exist. The migration of various linguistic groups of ethnicities played a significant role in the emergence of various cultures over time. There are five sites, Daojali hading, Mailu, Asalu, Bolason, and Chikambo, four of which belong to two different cultures in terms of cultural periods, and one with multi-cultural material evidences. Daojali hading, one of the sites in this group, has been dated using Luminescence dating. Bolason and Chikambo can be compared and linked to the migration of linguistic groups, and trading. The current paper will provide a brief overview of various cultural formations and transformations based on material evidence, as well as people's journey from small stone tool users to massive hollowed monolithic stone jars.