No gold, but ASI finds 1 BC remnants at Unnao

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Oct 29, 2013, DHNS: The marked spot at Raja Ram Rao Bux fort where excavation is being carried out in Unnao.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) may not have struck gold during its excavation at the fort ruins of Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh, but it did find remnants of a settlement at Daudiya Kheda that dates back to the first century BC.

 

The excavators found artefacts, including a few potsherds of black-slipped ware, a potsherd of northern black-polished ware and two brick walls along with red ware potsherds of early historical period. Some of them appeared to be of the first century BC, the period of Sunga Empire.

The ongoing excavation, which began on October 18, also unearthed some artefacts which appeared to be of the seventh century AD, period of Kushan Empire.

The recoveries are significant as the site was so far being considered to be of 17th to 19th century only. The excavation has unearthed iron nails, hopscotch, fragmented miniature stone figure of lion, burnt brick structures and terracotta arecanut-shaped beads.

“The preliminary findings suggest that the area was inhabited by people from the first century BC to seventh century AD. Later, it remained abandoned till the 17th century. The findings are interesting. They may open the gates to further research and study of the site,” a senior ASI official told Deccan Herald. The antiquities dating back to first century BC were recovered from the ninth layer.The excavation, which is restricted to the space between two parallel brick walls (3 metre x 2.50 metre), has so far continued up to the depth of 4.8 metres below the surface and reached a level of “Kankar (pebbles) formation” in part of the trench which started from 4.6 metres, acting director general of the ASI Pravin Srivastava said.

“We are analysing, taking photographs and making drawings of the site. We will continue the work for next two-three days and see if further digging of the spot is feasible,” he said.

While the ASI team plans to extend the area of digging in the same trench, after removing the brick wall, it has identified another spot for excavation nearby.

“The team of Geological Survey of India (GSI), in consultation with ASI officials at the site, has suggested another spot close to the river Ganga for trial excavation. Accordingly, a new trench has been laid out by proper cleaning of the surface and the digging would commence Wednesday,” Srivastava said. Both the spots are within the 20-metre range identified by the GSI as potential site of metal deposits beneath the surface, he added.