The objective of the present paper is to synthesize the archaeological and cultural landscape of the Tamsa Region from the Protohistoric Period to the Early Medieval Period. These landscapes are vital for understanding the interplay between human activities and the natural environment over time in the Tamsa Region. The Tamsa River area, stretching from Ayodhya to Ballia, covers a rich archaeological and cultural landscape with continuous human settlements from the Protohistoric through the Early Historical to the Medieval period.
The Tamsa River originates from a lake in Mawai Tehsil, District Ayodhya, and passes through Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ballia. The confluence place of the Chhoti Saryu and Tamsa is Sahroj in Mau District. The river finally meets to the south-west of the Ganges River in Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh.
The archaeological material from excavated sites of Khapura, Lakhneshwar Dih, Pakkakot, Waina, and other explored sites such as Sipah, Narsinghpur, Nahush ka Kot, Mahadeva, and Singhpur reflects broader cultural interactions through land as well as river routes from Ayodhya to Ballia/Ghaghara-Tamsa Region. The cultural milieu of the study area is represented by diverse ceramic assemblages and other artefacts, which together reveal cultural evolution across successive phases to understand both cultural continuity and change in the Tamsa/Tons Region. The ceramic remains and associated material culture of the occupational phases reveal a complex and dynamic settlement pattern in the region during the Protohistoric Period to the Early Medieval Period. Thus, the Tamsa-Ghaghara Region emerged in the past as a vibrant cultural zone integrated through the networking of ancient routes.

First Author: Pushp Lata Singh

Keywords:
Archaeological Landscape
Human Settlements
Ayodhya
Khapura
Lake
Palaeochannels