Orthodhaval: minor edit

2026-03-17T07:35:20Z

minor edit

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	\|cultures = [[~~Neolithic~~]] and [[Early Agricultural Communities in Bengal\|Early farming culture]]		\|cultures = [[Chalcolithic]]<ref name="The-Hindu1"/> and [[Early Agricultural Communities in Bengal\|Early farming culture]]
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	[[Category:Archaeological sites in West Bengal]]		[[Category:Archaeological sites in West Bengal]]
	~~[[Category:History of West Bengal]]~~
	[[Category:Ancient Bengal]]		[[Category:Ancient Bengal]]
			[[Category:Neolithic sites of Asia]]

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article

2023-09-28T16:47:59Z

Creating a new article

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{{Infobox ancient site
|name = Erenda
|native_name =
|alternate_name =
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|map_type = India West Bengal
|map_alt =
|relief = y
|map_size = 270
|coordinates = {{Coord|21|55|4.8|N|87|34|42.4|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
|location = Erenda, [[West Bengal]], India
|region =
|type = Settlement
|part_of =
|length =
|width =
|area = {{convert|1|ha|abbr=on}}<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/>
|height =
|builder =
|material =
|built = Approximately 2000 BCE
|abandoned =
|epochs =
|cultures = [[Neolithic]] and [[Early Agricultural Communities in Bengal|Early farming culture]]
|dependency_of =
|occupants =
|event = not known
|excavations = 2015–2017<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/>
|archaeologists =
|condition = Ruined
|ownership = Public
|management =
|public_access = Yes
|website = 
|notes =
}}
'''Erenda''' was one of the southernmost sites of [[Neolithic]] and [[Early Agricultural Communities in Bengal|Early farming culture]] located in the coastal region of the Indian state of [[West Bengal]].<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha1"/> Construction of the settlement is believed to have started around 2000 BC.<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/><ref name="The-Hindu1">{{cite web |last1=Sarkar |first1=Sebanti |title=An archaeological dig West Bengal’s Erenda village unearthed a surprising find |url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/a-tale-of-three-cowries/article18389720.ece |website=www.thehindu.com |publisher=The Hindu |access-date=26 September 2023 |language=en-IN |date=6 May 2017}}</ref>

The [[Prehistory|prehistoric]] settlement at Erenda village was discovered in 2015 by the [[University of Calcutta|University of Calcutta's]] Department of Archeology. Excavations at Erenda were carried out in two field seasons of 2015–16 and 2016–17.<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/> According to the Department of Archaeology (University of Calcutta), people started living here after the sea move away due to geological reasons. Probably the inhabitants here came to Erenda from [[Rarh region]] of Bengal.<ref name="anandabazar2"/>

[[Fish hook]] and weapons have been discovered during excavations, which were made of bone.<ref name="anandabazar1">{{cite web |last1=Mukhopadhyay |first1=Alakh |title=সাড়ে তিন হাজার বছর আগের সংসারের খোঁজ |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/3000-thousand-years-old-relics-recovered-from-erenda-1.324231 |website=www.anandabazar.com |access-date=26 September 2023 |location=Kolkata |language=bn |date=4 March 2016}}</ref> Also, ancient [[Rice|rice grains]] mixed with soil have been found, which providing evidence of agricultural activity.<ref name="anandabazar2"/>

==Archaeology==
A [[Copperplate script|copperplate inscription]] of [[Gour Kingdom|Gaur king]] [[Shashanka]] was found from this region. After that, [[University of Calcutta]] undertook a program of survey exploration and excavation. During this exploration and excavation, this settlement was discovered.<ref name="anandabazar2"/> Erenda was excavated between 2016 and 2017, extending the [[Neolithic]] culture of [[Bengal]] to the sea coast.<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha">{{cite journal |last1=Gangopadhyay |first1=Kaushik |last2=Halder |first2=Bidhan |last3=Chowdhury |first3=Saptarshi |editor1-last=Chakraborty |editor1-first=Sharmi |title=Chalcolithic Pottery from Erenda (West Bengal): A Preliminary Assessment |journal=Pratna Samiksha |date=2017 |volume=8 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343917381_Chalcolithic_Pottery_from_Erenda_West_Bengal |access-date=26 September 2023 |publisher=Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training, Eastern India, Kolkata |location=Kolkata |language=en |issn=2229-7979}}</ref> The site is located 70 kilometers (43 mi) from the [[Chalcolithic|Copper Age]] port city of [[Tamralipta]].

Peoples of Erenda village were aware of the presence of an ancient settlement. Farmers of the village had converted a part of the mound into agricultural land, and farmed the land.<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/>

The size of the settlement was {{convert|1|ha|abbr=on}}. Archaeologists claim that the settlement was a center of the [[Black and red ware|Black and Red ware]] culture of [[West Bengal]].<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/> Erenda is the oldest of the ancient archaeological settlements discovered in West Bengal. A [[Neolithic]] culture (between 2000 and 1500 BC) also existed, which contemporary with the post-Harappan period.<ref name="academia">{{cite web |last1=Naskar |first1=Nabanita |last2=Gangopadhyay |first2=Kaushik |last3=Lahiri |first3=Susanta |last4=Ghosh |first4=Ahana |last5=Chaudhuri |first5=Punarbasu |last6=Sharma |first6=Rajveer |last7=Kumar |first7=Pankaj |last8=Ojha |first8=S. |last9=Chopra |first9=S. |title=New Dates from The Site of Erenda, East Medinipur District, West Bengal: Implications for Indian Protohistory |url=https://www.academia.edu/37867617/New_Dates_from_The_Site_of_Erenda_East_Medinipur_District_West_Bengal_Implications_for_Indian_Protohistory |website=Application of Radio-Tracers and Energetic beams in sciences. |access-date=26 September 2023 |date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="Pratna-Samiksha1">{{cite journal |last1=Ghosh |first1=Ahana |last2=Saha |first2=Chandrima |last3=Reza |first3=Arshad |editor1-last=Chakraborty |editor1-first=Sharmi |title=Recently Discovered Intertidal Archaeological Sites Along the Shoreline of Bay of Bengal: East Medinipur District, West Bengal |journal=Pratna Samiksha |date=2020 |volume=11 |page=7 |url=https://asc.iitgn.ac.in/assets/publications/research_papers/Recently_discovered_inter_tidal_sites_along_the_shoreline_of_Bay_of_Bengal_2020_Ahana_Ghosh.pdf |access-date=27 September 2023 |publisher=Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training, Eastern India, Kolkata |location=Kolkata |language=en |issn=2229-7979}}</ref>

==Excavated Erenda==
According to the plan, Erenda extended approximately {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=off}} north-south and {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=off}} east-west. However, the mound currently measures {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=off}} in the north–south and {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=off}} in the east–west, the rest of the mound's land having been partially destroyed by agricultural activities.<ref name="Pratna-Samiksha"/> Here the houses were built of mud, basically ''[[Phragmites australis]]'' mixed with mud, this method still used in rural Bengal.<ref name="anandabazar2">{{cite web |last1=Thakur |first1=Shreya |title=সামুদ্রিক ঝড়েই কি ধ্বংস আদিম জনজীবন |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/recent-excavations-at-erenda-in-east-midnapore-have-found-ancient-houses/cid/1290711 |website=www.anandabazar.com |publisher=Anandabazar Patrika |access-date=26 September 2023 |location=Kolkata |language=bn |date=4 July 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in West Bengal]]
[[Category:History of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Ancient Bengal]]

Erenda - Revision history

Orthodhaval: minor edit

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article