Excavation Rithi Ranjana

Excavation at Rithi Ranjana, Near Saoner, Nagpur

Rithi Rajana (21°24'129'' N, 79° 00' 093'' E) site is located in the mining area of the MOIL (Manganese Ore India Limited) in the Gumgaon Village, near Khapa, Saoner Taluka in Nagpur District in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra State. The site is located 37 km towards North direction from District headquarters Nagpur. Gumgaon is surrounded by Kalmeshwar Taluka towards south, Parseoni Taluka towards East, Sausar Taluka towards North and Nagpur Taluka towards South. It is just on the right bank of the river Kanhan, a tributary of the Wainganga and is on the alluvium deposit. The region is extremely fertile and also rich in mineral deposits such as Manganese and Iron ore. The mound is roughly oval shape and spread in an area of 4 acres. This site has a deposit of 2.5m. At present the mound is under cultivation.

Excavation at the site yield Good quantity of pottery of micaceous red ware, black-and-red ware, red ware in different shades (slipped and unslipped), black burnished ware, painted black on red ware have been collected from the surface. The paintings are invariably done on rims, shoulders and waists mostly on outer surfaces but sometimes on inner surfaces. Most of the red ware pottery displays a variety of linear and geometrical designs done in black. The main pottery types include vases, jars, dishes and bowls. Other antiquarian remains collected from the mound comprise microliths, fluted cores in chalcedony and chert, saddle and leg querns, terracotta beads, and a few hopscotches made on potsherds. Another significant finding in the excavation is that, it yielded a number of circular bin platforms made of burnt clay in different occupational levels.