Research Paper
Dantari Hill: A Place Marked by Time in the Vindhyas of Kaimur Range
Authors: Dheeraj Sharma, Shubham Saurabh, Deepesh Singh, Virag G. Sontakke & Sachin Kr. Tiwary
Year: 2026, Volume: 17, Page/Article: 59-78, DOI: https://doi.org/10.47509/AA.2026.v17i.04
Abstract
Dantari Hill in the northeastern Vindhyas is an important site where many forms of archaeological evidence converge within a single landscape. This study documents and analyses megalithic structures, microliths, rock paintings, quarry pits, an inscription, and settlement areas to understand how people lived and used this region over time. A multi-method approach was applied, including megalithic documentation and GIS mapping; random and grid sampling for microliths; micro-documentation of rock art; inscriptional study; and cross-transect surveys for settlement areas. The results reveal 482 megaliths arranged in distinct clusters, microlith production areas, and those used as offerings to funerary rituals, 119 rock paintings depicting diverse scenes, an inscription linked to quarrying activity, and three settlement zones occupied for more than a thousand years. Taken together, this evidence shows that Dantari Hill was not just a burial ground but a connected cultural landscape where people lived, worked, created art, and performed rituals over many generations.
Keywords: Kaimur Range, Megaliths, Microliths, Rock paintings, Inscription, Settlement, Cultural landscape