Archaeological Sites and Nature of Evidences Related to Vedic Civilization Period [c. 1500 BCE - 600 BCE]

Abstract

The Vedic Civilization is known primarily from texts - the four Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads. Unlike the Harappan Civilization which is known from archaeology, Vedic culture poses a challenge: its people were semi-nomadic, used perishable materials, and practiced cremation, leaving less monumental architecture. Yet, in the last 70 years, archaeology has discovered a distinct cultural horizon that matches Vedic descriptions. This paper examines four categories of evidences: 1) The Painted Grey Ware [PGW] Culture, 2) The Ochre Coloured Pottery [OCP] and Copper Hoards, 3) The Cemetery H and Gandhara Grave Cultures, and 4) Settlement patterns, fire altars and faunal remains. It focuses on key sites like Hastinapur, Bhagwanpura, Kausambi, Attaranjikhera, and Kalibangan. The paper argues that Vedic archaeology is not about temples but about hearths, pottery, iron, horse and cattle bones, and ritual altars.¹