Khairadih
Khairadih Buxar · Khairadih Ghaghara Site
Chalcolithic (2000–1300) → Black-slipped/Iron (1300–600 BCE) → NBPW–Gupta (600 BCE–600 CE)·Middle Ganga Narhan–Khairadih → NBPW–Buddhist Ganga·🇮🇳 Bihar, Ballia–Buxar border, Saran District (Ghaghara–Ganga doab), Khairadih village near Buxar (7 km north of Ganga), India
About
About Khairadih
Middle Ganga Chalcolithic–Iron Age village (c.2000 BCE–600 CE) on the Ghaghara–Ganga doab at Khairadih near Buxar/Ballia — excavated 1981–83 by Birendra Pratap Singh (BHU Banaras). Khairadih Sequence: Period I (2000–1300 BCE) ochre-coloured pottery and black-and-red ware; Period II (1300–600 BCE) black-slipped ware with iron (1200 BCE earliest iron); Period III (600 BCE–200 CE) NBPW and Mauryan bricks; Period IV Gupta. Famous for earliest Ganga iron smelting evidence (1200 BCE furnace and slag) and Narhan–Senuwar culture link, with rice-wheat–pulse rotation and copper then iron tools bridging Chalcolithic to Early Historic Sarnath sphere.
Why it mattersEarliest Middle Ganga iron (1200 BCE) — connects Chhotanagpur ore to Ganga urbanism; Narhan–Khairadih culture bridge to Mauryan Buxar/Chausa.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Was iron indigenous Gangetic or diffused from West?
Theories
- 01Ganga independent Iron Age after Chalcolithic (Tiwari–Singh model)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.2000 BCE Narhan culture Chalcolithic
- Period
- Chalcolithic (2000–1300) → Black-slipped/Iron (1300–600 BCE) → NBPW–Gupta (600 BCE–600 CE)
- Culture
- Middle Ganga Narhan–Khairadih → NBPW–Buddhist Ganga
- Builders
- Narhan Chalcolithic villagers → Ganga Iron Age farmers → Mauryan townspeople
- Purpose
- Ganga doab farming-smelting hamlet linking Chhotanagpur iron ore to Ganga plains
- Abandoned
- c.600 CE Gupta
- Rediscovered
- 1981–83 BHU Singh excavation
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.2000–1300 BCE
Period I Chalcolithic OCP/BRW village
c.1300–600 BCE
Period II earliest iron furnace 1200 BCE with black-slipped ware
600 BCE–600 CE
NBPW Mauryan bricks, Punch-marked coins, Gupta levels
On the ground
Structures & features
25.7800° N · 84.2200° E · 68 m · 2 mapped features
Iron Smelting Furnace Horizon (Period II)
industrialBloomery furnace 1 m with slag and tuyere 1200 BCE on eastern flank
25.7803° N · 84.2205° ENBPW–Mauryan Brick Levels
settlementNBPW house floors and burnt brick walls Period III on summit
25.7797° N · 84.2195° E