Ethnoarchaeological Study of Living Traditions and Archaeological Interpretation in Chandrapur District, Maharashtra, India

Himanshu Moreshwar Mahajan

Ethnoarchaeology helps in understanding the relationship between archaeological remains and the living cultural traditions that continue in many regions. By studying present-day practices, material culture, and ritual behaviour, archaeologists can better interpret the meaning and function of archaeological materials. In this context, Chandrapur District represents an important cultural landscape where archaeological heritage and living traditions coexist. The district has archaeological evidence ranging from the prehistoric to the medieval period, including prehistoric settlements, megalithic monuments, early historic sites, and medieval temples. Today, the region is largely inhabited by tribal and agro-pastoral communities whose traditional lifeways preserve elements of earlier cultural traditions. Several living traditions in Chandrapur demonstrate the close relationship between material culture and ritual symbolism. After the transplantation of rice crops, rural households often create symbolic representations of agricultural tools and implements on the walls of their houses, reflecting the cultural importance of agriculture. Similarly, during the agricultural festival of Pola Festival, farmers worship bullocks and prepare small terracotta bull figurines as ritual offerings. Comparable terracotta bull figurines have also been reported from several archaeological excavations in India, suggesting continuity of agrarian symbolism. Another important tradition is observed during Nag Panchami, when villagers create snake paintings at sacred places and perform ritual worship. The present study examines these traditions through an ethnoarchaeological perspective to explore cultural continuity between past and present traditions in Chandrapur.