Connecting indigenous Naga folklore with archaeology

Connecting indigenous Naga folklore with archaeology

Connecting indigenous Naga folklore with archaeology

Chubatoshi at the excavation site in Longsa village.

 

A scholar’s doctoral endeavour to put numbers to ‘time immemorial’

 

Imkong Walling
Dimapur | March 10


Naga villages abound with stories of the ancient past. These stories, however, stop short at “time immemorial” or in other words— confined to the realm of myths with no dating and archaeological grounding. 


But today, researchers are gradually gaining ground endeavouring to attach scientific basis to oral lore. 

 

exposed postholes


A research scholar of Nagaland University has made one such attempt while managing to provide a semblance of archaeological credence to a legend about an abandoned old settlement in Longsa, a legendary Ao village in present day Mokokchung district. 


According to the scholar, Chubatoshi, as the story goes, present day Sangpu Mepu (khel) of Longsa traces back to a settlement called Sangpuyimti, which in the present day, is located about a kilometer away from Longsa on a mount known to the villagers as Koralong. The settlers or inhabitants of Sangpuyimti later migrated and “settled at Longsa in an area called Sangpu Mepu, landmarked by Longsalong which is referred to by the locals as the gateway to the afterlife,”he said.


Longsa village is currently made up of 4 khels (roughly translated as colonies), of which Sangpu Mepu is one.   
What made the inhabitants to abandon the place forms the gist of the Sangpuyimti folk narrative. 

 

excavation site


The inhabitants’ water source was a pond called ‘Awatsü.’ But the pond was the abode of a demon, who the inhabitants believed was responsible for a number of children going missing. “The settlers cursed the pond and were forced to abandon the site and that’s the story as told,” said Chubatoshi. 


As a Longsa villager, he nursed the idea of corroborating the story and many others like it with archaeological findings. He got the opportunity at Nagaland University for a Ph.D research in archaeology on the topic ‘Formation and Spread of Ao Naga Ancestral Sites: Oral Tradition and Archaeology’ under the supervision of Dr Tiatoshi Jamir. 


“With a view to validate the oral source and to generate awareness on the importance of archaeology in a tribal community like ours” and as part of his research, he said that a trial excavation was conducted at the site mentioned in the story. He along with another scholar, Mepusangba excavated the site from February 26-28, 2020. 

 

exhibit of artefacts from the site


The findings of the trial excavation were startling, revealing telltale signs of an old human settlement. “Two trenches were dug and the findings were quite promising. Three postholes (pits for pillars) were exposed which gave clear evidences of early settlements at the site,” he said.


“Other findings included potsherds with designs varying from plain to cord-marked and Jacquard designs, modified stones, sharpening stone, spindle whorl and beads.”  


The next step is to carbon-date the age of the site. According to him, charcoal samples collected are being readied to be sent for dating to the USA. 


Queried if his excavation will be confined to the site, he replied, “For now, yes.” He added that he has already begun documenting similar sites linked to oral lore in other villages.  


He however raised concern over such sites getting disturbed by human activity such as the traditional jhumming (slash-burn farming) and logging. He stressed that communities should be made aware of such sites and encouraged to presertve them.