Archaeology Thread

[satishanu]

Source: Hindu

Dindigul (PTI): A glass bead-making unit and an Iron Age graveyard, both about 2,500 years old, have been unearthed during the ongoing excavation in and around Porunthal, 12-km from here, an archaeology expert said.

The excavation made at Paasi Medu (bead mound) venue, a site spread over 5.5 hectares on the ancient East-West Trade route linking Tamil Nadu and Kerala, revealed presence of a glass bead manufacturing unit, Prof K Rajan, Archaeology Department, University of Pondicherry, told reporters at Palani near here on Sunday.

They also recovered thousands of beads in various colours including red, white, black, yellow, maroon and green from the site along with 30 identical redware bowls, triangular terracotta pieces and two furnaces.

This could have been the place where glass beads had been manufactured in ancient Tamil Nadu, he said.

"We feel that this place might have been a glass bead manufacturing factory. It should be around 2,500 years old," said former archaeology professor Shanmugam.

The 'Indo-Pacific' beads could have been exported through Musiripattinam in Thrissur district of Kerala. The glass unit was the first such found in India, Mr. Rajan said.

"We recovered only slightly damaged beads," he said. The study of the site revealed Porunthal had been a trade centre.

A statue of a bull was yet another finding. A first Century AD Terracotta figurine of a male had also been unearthed besides ivory dice, earrings and copper coin.

The team doing research at the site included students and professors from Puducherry University, Tamil University, Mangalore University and Srivenkateswara University.

They found several iron age burials at the foothills of the Westerghats near Chinna Gandhipuram. The graves found at the site had been fenced by boulders.

Archaeology officials said these cist burials were of simple nature. A burial with 12.5-metre-diametre revealed the rich culture of the people of the area. There were two decks and two port holes in the bicameral cist. About 3,000 beads of semi-precious stones were also recovered around the skeletal remains.

The findings suggest that people could have performed some ritual for the dead, they said.

From near the burials, mud pots of red, black and shining black were also found.

[Marathaman]

350-year-old temple chariot to be preserved by State Archaeology Department

HASSAN,Sept 7: A 350-year old chariot of Soumyakeshava temple at Ambuga village under Shantigrama hobli in Hassan taluk that is in a dilapidated state will be preserved by the Archaeology Department. The 15-feet-high chariot will now become the property of State Archaeology Department.

Three years ago, a new chariot was built, and the 350-year old chariot, which the Mysore Maharaja got built, was partially dilapidated.

This chariot was left idle and uncared for.

Residents, who came in a delegation, met the Deputy Commissioner and appealed to him to shift the chariot so that it could be preserved. Deputy Commissioner Naveen Raj Singh wrote to the State Archaeology Department to take possession of the chariot.

Historian Shivakumar Kanasogi told The Hindu that the temple in Ambuga was built in 12th century by Hoysala kings. When the earlier chariot became dilapidated, the Mysore Maharaja got a new one built about 350 years ago and also donated 500 acres of land to the temple besides constructing a tank in Ambuga village. The land given to the temple has been encroached upon by residents for cultivation.

Radha, curator working in the Archaeology Department, told The Hindu on Sunday that there were such old chariots that are more than 300 years old in Ramanathapura, Arkalgud and Gorur (in Arkalgud taluk) and in Rajendrapura in Sakleshpur taluk of the district and these chariot would be preserved by the State Arahaelogy Department.

[Marathaman]

Sixth century stone sculpture of Hindu goddess discovered in Kashmir

September 4th, 2009

SRINAGAR - An ancient sculpture of Hindu Goddess of wealth Gajalakshmi has recently been discovered at Nagbal Lesser village in Jammu and Kashmir.

The sculpture, carved out of brownish limestone, is now kept for further examination at the office of Archives Archaeology and Museum in Srinagar. It will be shifted to Sri Pratap Singh Museum for public display later.

“As far as the object (sculpture) is concerned it is very important. According to our earlier examination, the statue dates back to the 6th or 7th century. It’s of brownish colour and from the perspective of craftsmanship, it is finely chiselled out,” said Khurshid Ahmad Qadri, Director, Archives Archaeology and Museums of Jammu and Kashmir.

The statue, measuring nine inches in height and five inches in width, is seated on the lotus throne placed between two lions. The main sculpture is enclosed in a stone frame, the top of which projects the shape of elephant motifs towards the head of the deity.

The idol holds a lotus in her right hand and cornucopia in her left hand. The other end of the drapery covering the lower body of the sculpture does not go behind its shoulder but is wrapped around in pleats beneath the chest of the deity.

The carving and costumes of the sculpture speak volumes about skilled craftsmanship of the ancient Kashmiri art.

“As far as its art is concerned, this art form connects it to the Gandhara School of Art. The Gandhara School of Art was founded in the first century BC. The theme cultivated by Gandhara artists later reached Kashmir. The costume we get to see in this sculpture shows a confluence of Greek and Indian art forms,” said Iqbal Ahmad, a historian.

This is the only sculpture found from the Lesser Kokernag area of Kashmir so far. However, the presence of pottery in an around the Lesser village reveals presence of some ancient settlements. By Afzal Bhat (ANI)

[Marathaman]

Third century Buddhist relics, caves found at Taranga Hills

TNN 5 September 2009, 01:36am IST

AHMEDABAD: A team consisting of three archaeologists of state archaeology department could not believe their eyes in early February when they
spotted two terracotta figurines at the foothills of Taranga Hills, 20 km from Vadnagar town. These figurines were of Lord Buddha in 'Padmasana' pose and were as old as third century BC.

The excitement did not end there. Further investigations of Taranga Hills- Jogida hill in particular, revealed several Buddhist cave shelters with proper terraces - pointing towards the late Hinyan period. Discovery of Buddhist idols is significant as the region is believed to be hub of medieval and early medieval Jain temples. The revered Ajitnath temple for instance, built during the period of Solanki ruler Kumarpal is a popular shrine in the region.

It was in 1936 that chief archeologists of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad, AS Gadre examined idols of Dharanmata and Taranmata temples that are worshipped by locals. Gadre had pointed out that they belonged to ninth century AD. Dharanmata was identified as Tara Devi, goddess of tantric Buddhism. The Buddhist settlement flourished between third century BC to ninth century AD in Gujarat, Gadre had noted.

But, this bustling Buddhist settlement was located right outside the now believed Anarthapura fort walls and symbolized the epitome of Buddhism in Gujarat. The Gurjar king Parsarti king Mihir Bhoja (836 AD-885 AD) says his predecessor Nagabhatta-II had conquered Giri fort of Anarthapura. Most people had migrated out of the fort city and moved to Vadnagar after ninth century AD, believe scholars.

"It is not an easy task to negotiate the narrow spaces in the caves. There are several secret entries and exits. These caves are a marvel and reflect the intelligentsia of that era. We found remains of pottery used by monks and statutes of Lord Buddha. One of the caves at the apex of Jogida hills seems to have belonged to the head monk of the Buddhist settlement," says director of state archaeology department, YS Rawat.

Also, the lower part of Jogida hills revealed an embankment for a reservoir and damming of a local perennial stream. Interestingly, some Buddhist idols in the hills are praised as local tribal gods and in one case has been positioned as 'Roothi Rani'. "It's interesting how these settlements have been interpreted by locals. We will be carrying further investigation in the area," says Rawat.

[Marathaman]

TN Govt documenting 25,000 Tamil inscriptions for posterity
Chennai, Aug 27, PTI:

Tamil Nadu Government is in the process of documenting about 25,000 Tamil inscriptions found in different temples across the state under an ambitious programme to preserve and protect heritage sites and documents.


"There are about 25,000 inscriptions across various temples in the state. We have already documented about 23,000 inscriptions and the remaining would be done by next year", State Archaeological Commissioner T S Sridhar said.
The Tamil inscriptions found in various temples across the state are highest in numbers after Sanskrit, Sridhar said.

A total of 38,465 temples and 85 monuments, including some pre-historic paintings and rock-cut caves, were being monitored by the department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments for documentation work, he added.
Sridhar also called for strict enforcement of Heritage Act and adequate funds through Finance Commission for the upkeep of these structures.

Meanwhile, Chennai circle of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has also embarked upon a programme to protect all heritage monuments and sites across the state.
The new measures include setting up of comprehensive signage near all the 247 monuments and 162 sites coming under its control, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Tamil Nadu Circle, Sathyabama Badrinath told.

The ASI also plans to give a face-lift to the famous St George Fort, the seat of the state government, constructed in 1639 by Francis day, an English trader and representative of the East India Company.
The fort, which laid the foundation for the birth of the Madras city -- present day Chennai, covers a vast area housing the state Legislature, Secretariat and offices of Archaeology and Military units.

During the first phase, the vegetation surrounding the north-east area of the fort would be cleared and the ramps would be decorated, Sathyabhama said adding "in the next phase, the south-east portion would be renovated."
The conservation work at the forts situated in Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Vellore, was also on, she said adding, "original features, style and construction would be retained during the process."

The Centre had also allocated Rs 4.5 crore for 2008-09 for carrying out conservation work at the sites, she added.

The ASI plans to organise an exhibition on conservation of monuments through out the state with an aim to create awareness among the masses.
"We also plan to involve NSS school students to take-up cleaning works at world heritage sites such as Mamallapuram and heritage sites in Thanjavur," Sathyabhama said.
Owing to exponential growth in tourism, the monuments attract a large crowd which result in wear and tear of sensitive surfaces including marble flooring. Besides, the visitors also indulge in graffiti, the Superintending Archaeologist said.

[Marathaman]

Caves tell a tale of an ancient trade route
Neeta Kolhatkar / DNA
Sunday, August 16, 2009 3:35 IST

Mumbai: Few would know that the Elephanta, Kanheri, Mahakali, Jogeshwari and Mandapeshwar caves are all connected by a trade route that existed in and around Mumbai nearly 2,000 years ago.

"These caves were used by traders and Buddhist monks who traversed down these stretches while on their way to Konkan or Sopara. In fact the Dahisar river running adjacent to the Mandapeshwar caves was earlier used for navigation. They would go from here towards Gorai and onward to their further journey," says Anita Rane-Kothare, professor, ancient Indian culture, St Xavier's College.

Each cave has a distinct feature which sets it apart from others. One important factor being -- the Kanheri and Mahakali caves are Buddhist caves while the Mandapeshwar is a Shaiva cave.

Kanheri and Mahakali date back to 2nd and 3rd century AD while Mandapeshwar dates back to 6th and 7th century AD.

"The Challya hall in Mahakali is similar to the plan of the Sudam caves built by king Ashoka for the Ajivaka monks. It is a rectangular hall with a circular cell and a hemispherical roof," says Rane-Kothare.

She adds, "Kanheri was the biggest educational centre in western India. There are 125 caves here and there is also a big cemetery. There are ancient paintings in these caves too. However, if you see the Mandapeshwar, it is a small cave because of the rock structure and its entrance shows equality of gender in the form of sculptures of donor couples."

The interesting fact is that every cave has a distinct form of architecture and art that also depicts the life that existed in that era.

There are also water resources that indicate rainwater harvesting was prevalent, as can be seen in the Kanheri caves. Nowadays locals come to feed the fish and turtles in these waters.

"I come here every day to pray to Shiva and feed the fish. I follow my mother in this. There are catfish and turtles here," says 19-year-old Mitesh Bhuptani.

"We should study the rainwater harvesting system used by the monks so many thousands of years ago. In fact during the rains, one can follow the stream paths at Kanheri and Mandapeshwar caves. These cooled the area and were also natural habitat," says Rane-Kothare.

There are facts that can actually fascinate locals if it is made popular. Right now the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has declared the Mandapeshwar, Kanheri and Jogeshwari caves as national heritage monuments. The repair works have begun since last month at the Mandapeshwar caves.

"Right now we are clearing the path and making the steps. We will build a compound and enclose this area. We have some of the most beautiful caves here but not many know of them. These are ancient ones dating back to the 2nd century AD," says GS Narasimha, superintendent archaeologist, ASI.

The caretaker informs that on major Shiva festivals like Mahashivratri, Navratri and Diwali the caves are lit with lamps. Devotees come here, or, many wouldn't even know of these caves

[Marathaman]

Signs of ancient port in Kerala
- Pattanam mentioned in Indian & Greek texts
G.S. MUDUR


New Delhi, Aug. 2: A village in Kerala’s Periyar delta may be the site of a port that has remained untraced for centuries although ancient Indian and Greek texts had described it as an Indian Ocean trade hub, researchers have said.

Archaeological excavations at Pattanam, about 25km north of Kochi, have yielded an abundance of artefacts — a 2,000-year-old brick-layered wharf, a wooden canoe and hundreds of fragments of Roman and West Asian pottery, including wine jars.

The findings of three years of excavations suggest that the Pattanam site may have been part of Muziris, a port city mentioned in an ancient Tamil text, Akanunuru, as well as in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a navigational guide from ancient Greece describing ports along the Red Sea and in India. Historians have dated both texts to the first century AD.

“Pattanam may be the oldest port with a large amount of evidence of Roman contacts outside the traditional boundaries of the Roman empire,” said Parayil John Cherian, the director of the Kerala Council of Historical Research and research team leader.

Cherian and his colleagues have published their findings in the latest issue of Current Science, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Indian Academy of Sciences. “The artefacts suggest this was a major trading port,” Cherian told The Telegraph.

The excavations revealed a six-metre-long wooden canoe, a wharf with wooden bollards to hold boats and fragments of Roman pottery that appear to contain material from southern Italy as well as shards of Egyptian and Mesopotamian pottery. Scattered alongside in a waterlogged area near the wharf were grains of black pepper, cardamom and rice.

The researchers said the findings provide strong circumstantial evidence that Pattanam was part of the port of Muziris because they match descriptions of the ancient port in Tamil literature from about the first century AD.

“The text mentions a port named Muchiri where ships arrived with gold and jars of wine and returned with pepper,” said Veerasamy Selvakumar, a team member from the department of epigraphy and archaeology at Tamil University, Thanjavur.

“We now have evidence for spice trade from this site, and the Roman Amphora fragments point to wine jars,” Selvakumar said.

Scientists at the Institute of Physics in Bhubaneswar who helped the archaeologists date some of the materials discovered at the site found that wood from the wharf was about 2,000 years old — between the first century BC and the first century AD.

The researchers believe ships would sail from a port on Egypt’s Red Sea coast into the northern Indian Ocean and into Muziris. “We’ve estimated that the voyage would have taken about 70 days,” Cherian said.

He said the discovery of jars from Mesopotamia and turquoise-glazed pottery from a layer at the archaeological site where no Roman amphora was found suggests that some West Asians may have predated contacts with the Romans.

The excavations suggest the site was first occupied about 1,000 BC and remained active until about the 10th century AD. During that period, it engaged in extensive trade with cultures from the Mediterranean, West Asia and even Southeast Asia.

[bains1971]

The two cities under the bay of cambay has their been any progress on them any new surveys?

[skganji]

ASI is pathetic when it comes to doing real work on the ground. They have absolutely failed miserably to discover any thing substanial near Bhirranna or
Rakhigarhi . A rich site like Rakhigarhi can't be excavated because of serious legal issues in the court faced by ASI related to corruption. Even at other places their excavation is sloppy and shady when compared to their western counterparts who have done a tremendously excellent job at Harrappa and Mohenjadaro. The quality of their work is very inferior compared to the work carried by their western counterparts.

[Marathaman]

4,500-year-old Harappan settlement excavated in Kutch
Ahmedabad, Mar 7 (PTI)

A vast settlement surrounded by a fortified structure believed to be about 4,500 years old and belonging to the Harappan civilisation has been excavated at Shikarpur village in Kutch district.

The team which has been excavating the site in Bhachau taluka of Kutch since last three years, is headed by Kuldeep Bhan and P Ajithprasad of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara.

"A huge fortified structure made out of unbaked mud bricks has been excavated by our team. The ratio of height, width and length of the bricks is 1:2:4 which is what we call Harappan ratio," Ajithprasad told PTI.

"The fortification is spread over nearly one hectare area, with 10 m thick walls," he said.

"Though the exact period when this structure could have been constructed is yet to be ascertained, primarily it appears to be roughly 4500-years-old, built between 2500 BC and 2200 BC and is part of the Harappan civilisation," Ajithprasad said.

"The purpose of building such thick walls could be protection from natural calamities, external enemy or to impress upon other settlements," he added.
According to the professor, the fortification has an open space in the centre with small structures surrounding it.

"The site is one quarter the size of the biggest Harappan site in the state located in Dholavira, Kutch and four times the size of another site of the same era in Bagasra," Ajithprasad said. Situated on a mound locally known as Valmio Timbo (mound) measuring about 3.4 hectares, it is located 4.5 km south of Shikarpur village at the edge of the narrow creek extending eastward from the Gulf of Kutch. It is close to National Highway-15 connecting Kutch district with other parts of the state.

"The site was earlier excavated from 1987 to 1989 by the Gujarat State Archaeology Department but details about it were not published and whatever little was published was inconclusive," Ajithprasad said.

Therefore, the site was taken up for re-excavation due to its strategic location and establish the cultural sequence as well as the settlement features in terms of economic activities, he added.

During the three years of excavation, the site has revealed Harappan artifacts, especially ceramics and triangular terracotta cakes, spread rather evenly on the surface. In addition to the classical Harappan pottery, the surface assemblage included small amounts of regional pottery. Other sites of Harappan civilisation excavated in Gujarat include Kanmer in Kutch, Gola Dhoro (Bagasara), Nageshwar, Nagwada, Kuntasi in northern Saurashtra and Juni Kuran in northern Kutch.

[Marathaman]

More evidence unearthed at ancient port of Muziris



Pattanam, a small village located 25 km north of Kochi, is the new pilgrimage spot on the international archaeological map. This quiet place, archaeologists now confirm, was once the flourishing port known to the Romans as Muziris and sung in praise by the Tamil Sangam poets as Muciri.

Every year since 2005, excavations have yielded artefacts, structures and even a canoe in one instance to confirm this conclusion. This year has also been productive for archaeologists.

A figure of a pouncing lion carved in great detail on a semi precious stone and a bright micro metal object with intricate designs are two of the special objects found during the ongoing excavations that began in February. Copper antimony rods, usually associated with cosmetic use, were also found.

The semi precious stone with the lion figure measures about 2 cm and is rounded at the edge. It appears to be part of a pendant or a ring.

The object is yet to be dated in a scientific manner, but going by the depth at which it was found, it is tentatively placed in the early historic period — 1st century BCE to 4th century CE. It was during this time that trade with the West Asian and Roman ports was extensive.

P.J. Cherian, director, Pattanam Excavation, thinks these ornamental metal objects and work on semi- precious stones reflect the fine artisanship that was prevalent at that time.

Dr. Cherian's team has found a multitude of pottery shards, including that of a Roman amphora, early Chera coins, turquoise glazed pottery and cameo blanks (cameos were popular jewellery in ancient Rome). These attest to the existence of an active habitation and trading activities.

Despite abundant references in Roman and Tamil texts, Muziris, the famous western trade post, remained elusive to archaeologists for long.

Places such as Thiruvanchikulam and Kodungallur were initially thought to be Muziris, but excavations at these places did not yield any evidence. The trail excavations at Pattanam began in 2005, and the evidence obtained since has finally helped archaeologists locate the ancient port.

In 2006, the Kerala government launched the Muziris Heritage Project to “scientifically retrieve and preserve the legacy of Muziris.”

The Kerala Council for Historical Research has undertaken inter-disciplinary archaeological research, and the fourth season of excavations is on.

[Arasu]

http://www.tamilpakkam.com/html/cini...Vandalized.htm

History vandalized Granite quarrying and vandalism threaten to destroy Tamil-Brahmi sites in Tamil Nadu.



Tamil-Brahmi inscription on the brow of a cavern in a hill at Tiruvadavur near Madurai. In the background, granite quarrying goes on unhindered within the prohibited/regulated limit of the historical site.
SANGAM age Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions on the brows of caves, hundreds of beds known as Jaina beds sculpted on their floors, beautiful bas-reliefs of Jaina tirthankaras and exquisite paintings by prehistoric artists are facing destruction in the hills in the vicinity of Madurai in Tamil Nadu owing to large-scale granite quarrying and vandalism. Real estate sharks have destroyed Iron Age burial sites near these hills. The sites, datable from 2nd century B.C to 3rd century A.D., constitute an invaluable cultural treasure. The inscriptions offer evidence to Tamil’s classical language status and throw light on the advent and spread of Jainism in the Tamil Sangam age and the later period in the region. The sites hold a wealth of information on how kings, chieftains, traders, village chiefs and even ordinary people patronized Jainism and made donations for the sculpting of Jaina beds. They also provide interesting information on the trade guilds that existed during the period because many of these hills lie on the trade routes of that period.

Quarrying has been going on at these sites in total violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966. The first one, a piece of federal legislation, applies to protected monuments under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which functions under the Government of India. The second one is a State law and applies to the protected monuments that come under the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department. No construction or mining activity is allowed up to 100 metres of the prohibited area beyond the protected limits of the site. Beyond the 100 m, up to a distance of another 200 m, is the regulated area, where, under the terms and conditions of a licence granted by the Director-General of the ASI, mining or construction can be done if it does not affect the site. All these provisions apply to monuments coming under the State Archaeology Department, too. As per the procedure, the Assistant Director (Mines and Geology) of the district concerned, on behalf of the Collector, would auction the hill. The Collector would give the contractor who wins the bid a licence for quarrying.

A letter dated September 23, 1996, went out from the Department of Tamil Development and Culture that “in future… the District Collectors should consult the Archaeology Department and only with its permission they should give the licence to private parties for quarrying the hills which have heritage monuments.” For, it said, “Tamil inscriptions, which are about 2,300 years old, are found only in the caves of hills. They provided the best evidence for learning about the Tamil Sangam age and the Tamil society that existed prior to the Sangam age.” However, the letter said, quarrying was under way not only to export granite but also to sell it locally.



Two quarries mar an otherwise beautiful view from the Mankulam hill, which has the most ancient Tamil-Brahmi inscription.
There are 31 Tamil-Brahmi sites in the State, with 90 inscriptions. Of them, 11 are protected monuments under the State Archaeology Department and seven are under the ASI. Quarry contractors appear to have violated the provisions of both laws with regard to the protected monuments. Take for instance the Tamil-Brahmi site at Tiruvadavur, 20 km from Madurai, with two Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and prehistoric paintings of concentric circles. This is a protected site coming under the State Archaeology Department. The inscriptions, belonging to the 2nd century B.C., talk about how Aridhan of Pangadu village and Upasan had sculpted the beds on the cave floor. Iravatham Mahadevan, a renowned scholar on Tamil-Brahmi and Indus scripts, deciphered the two inscriptions in 1996. Tiruvadavur is now the most disturbed Tamil-Brahmi site in the State, with a huge quarry situated right at the foot of the hill. Quarrying has progressed so deep that the site looks like an open-cast mine. All round the quarry, for several kilometres, granite blocks as big as a truck or a car, are stacked on either side of the village roads. There is a surreal scene too: a nearby hill has been sliced in half, as if it were a cake. An official of the State Archaeology Department admitted that quarrying was under way within the prohibited/regulated area, that is, within 300 m of the protected limits of the monument. T.S. Sridhar, Principal Secretary and Commissioner, State Archaeology Department, said that on paper nothing would be illegal. But after obtaining the licence, quarrying would take place right inside the prohibited/regulated areas.



Graffiti on the Jaina beds at Mankulam.
At the entrance to the historical site at Keezhavalavu village, 38 km from Madurai, an ASI board announces that the monument is of national importance. The hill treasures a long Tamil-Brahmi inscription chiselled boldly from right to left and some letters written upside down on the brow of a cavern; three sculptures of Jaina tirthankaras above the inscription; Jaina beds; and a little away, a line of six sculptures of tirthankaras. On an adjoining hillock, there is a series of Jaina beds; and two circular hollows, excavated from rock floors, with Tamil and Grantha inscriptions. Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI (Chennai circle), admitted: “The entire hill is protected at Keezhavalavu. Quarrying went on within the protected area.” The Society for Community Organisation (SOCO) Trust, Madurai, objected to quarrying within the protected limits. A. Mahaboob Batcha, managing trustee, and S. Bhuvaneswari and G. Pandi, both Keezhavalavu residents, went to court. The ASI, TAMIN (Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited, a State government undertaking) and others were the respondents. T. Lajapathi Roy, counsel for SOCO Trust, one of the petitioners, argued that quarrying went on within the nucleus of the protected area. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court appointed M. Ajmal Khan and K. Srinivasan as advocate commissioners. They found “quarrying operation being carried on in an area of 8.60.5 ha [hectares] within the said notified area of 20.95.5 ha.”



At Keezhavalavu, THE ASI erected two pillars to support an awning above the sculptures of three tirthankaras. The awning is gone and the pillars now block the view of the sculptures.
The High Court granted an injunction and stayed the quarrying within the protected limits. A final order is yet to be passed. Vandalism, too, is rampant at Keezhavalavu. If the sculptures of the group of six tirthankaras remained unharmed when this writer visited the site in December 2008, the noses of two tirthankaras appeared smashed up during a visit in March 2009. There is graffiti everywhere. The ASI had erected two pillars to support an awning above the sculptures of three tirthankaras. The awning is gone and only the hideous-looking pillars remain, obscuring the view of the tirthankaras. The hillock at Melakkuyilkudi, on the outskirts of Madurai, is another protected monument of the ASI. Here, there were 10 Jaina beds, which commanded a beautiful view of the paddyfields below and the Nagamalai hill at a distance. But illegal quarrying has led to the collapse of the hillock. Falling boulders have splintered the beds. Today, only two beds remain intact.



After a hill was completely excavated.




At Muthupatti, near Karadipatti on the Perumalmalai hill, there are three Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, all belonging to the first century B.C. They talk about the donations made by Anthai of Nagaperur and Ilamagan Kodan of Musiri, and Saialan of Vindhaiyur for excavating the Jaina beds. This is an ASI-protected monument. Quarrying went on here within the prohibited/regulated limits but stopped a few years ago. It revived in recent months. However, after a vigilant Tamil press highlighted the fact, the District Collector stopped the illegal quarrying. Kongar Puliyankulam has three Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions on the brow of a cavern, more than 50 Jaina beds, which have been defaced with symbols of political parties and names of people painted or engraved on them, and a sculpture of a tirthankara. This is a protected monument under the State Archaeology Department. Two hillocks in this area have disappeared, with every boulder having been removed. Quarrying went on at the spot and created artificial lakes. Varichiyur on the Madurai-Sivaganga road, has on an amorphously formed hillock three Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and some Jaina beds. Quarrying on the edges of the hillock has made the rock-cut Nilakantesvara shrine sit perilously.



The noses of the bas-reliefs of two Jaina tirthankaras at Keezhavalavu have been smashed by vandals.
The six Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions of the 2nd century B.C. on the brow of five caverns on the Kazhugumalai hill near Mankulam, 38 km from Madurai, are the most ancient ones in Tamil Nadu and establish the historical facts that the Pandyan king Nedunchezhiyan ruled in the 2nd century B.C. and that Sangam literature dates back to the same period. The inscriptions also have mention about the trade guilds of the period and about a group of Jaina monks headed by Kani Nandan who stayed in the five caverns. While the vandals have spared the inscriptions, they have defaced the Jaina beds and pulled down the fencing around them. If this is the plight of protected sites, the situation at unprotected sites such as Tirumalai in Sivaganga district and Arittapatti near Madurai is worse. Since Madurai was the Pandyan capital and an important trading centre, Jaina monks chose the ancient town for the propagation of their religion. It was only in 7th century A.D. that bas-reliefs of tirthankaras began to come up near the Tamil-Brahmi sites and elsewhere.



Jaina beds vandalised at Kongarpuliyankulam.
K.T. Gandhirajan, specialist in art history who recently documented the Tamil-Brahmi sites in Tamil Nadu, said, “It is at Mankulam, Arittapatti, Tiruvadavur, Mannarkovil, and so on that we get the evidence that Tamil is a classical language.” He is pained that the ambience of these sites are marred by the activities of quarry contractors, vandals and others. Sridhar said the State Archaeology Department was “totally helpless” in the matter. “We can only protect the monument by fencing it,” he said. Whenever the department discovered any violation it reported the matter to the district administration. When use of explosives in the Keezhvalai hill posed a threat to pre-historic paintings there and a temple at Perumukkal, the department took up the matter with the Collector and quarrying was stopped there, Sridhar said. The department had no punitive powers to bring the vandals to book. He suggested that involvement of the local community was the only way to prevent vandalism of the monuments.



Beds damaged by crashing boulders at Melakkuyilkudi.
Sathyabhama Badhreenath is unhappy that the district administration does not consult the ASI when the rights for quarrying around a protected monument are granted. “We continuously write to the Collector or the Assistant Director. We give them a copy of our rules. I have written to all the Collectors with a list of protected monuments in their districts so that they are at least aware that there are archaeological sites of importance in their districts,” she said. She said she wrote to the Madurai Collector and was able to prevent quarrying at Keezhaiyur. A heritage enthusiast suggested that the ASI or the State Archaeology Department be empowered to grant licences for quarrying near protected monuments.

Courtesy: The Hindu

[skganji]

What happened to all the posts after April 9th ?. What happned to all the postings related to IVC ?.
Why do they have to delete some of the posts which contain some latest developments in the decipherment of IVC ?.

[IndiansUnite]

Those posts were moved here->

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1111343

[skganji]

Using the other thread for IVC discussion.

[Marathaman]

^Please use the other thread for IVC related discussions.


South Indians in Roman Egypt?




One way to understand the implications of the archaeological discoveries at Pattanam is to delve into the amazing wealth of data from the excavations at the lost Ptolemic-Roman port city of Berenike, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. During the Ptolemic-Roman period (third century B.C. to sixth century A.D), Berenike served as a key transit port between ancient Egypt and Rome on one side and the Red Sea-Indian Ocean regions, including South Arabia, East Africa, India and Sri Lanka, on the other.

This ancient port city was well-connected by roads from the Nile that passed through the Eastern Desert of Egypt and also by sea routes from the Indian Ocean regions. Cargoes unloaded at Berenike and other Egyptian Red Sea ports (such as Myos Hormos, now lost) used to be taken along the desert roads to the Nile and from there through the river to the Mediterranean Sea and across, to the Roman trade centres.

Exotic goods from Rome and Egypt flowed into Berenike along the same desert road before being loaded into large ships bound for the Indian Ocean.

By the end of the second century B.C., the Egyptians and the Romans finally learnt the skill of sailing with the monsoon winds across the Indian Ocean (“from the Arabs and other Easterners”). Voyages from Berenike for the riches of the Malabar coast therefore became “faster, cheaper, but not less dangerous”.

According to most accounts, one of the major centres in India that ships from Berenike travelled to, along with the monsoon winds, was the emporium of Muziris, on the Malabar coast.


However, as the silting of the harbour, among other uncertain reasons, caused Berenike’s eventual abandonment before the middle of the sixth century A.D., Muziris, too, disappeared mysteriously from the itinerary of the later voyagers to the Malabar coast. For a long time since then, both these centres remained forgotten.

But while archaeological evidence about Muziris or the Indian Ocean trade remained elusive in the Malabar coast, it was Berenike that eventually offered invaluable proof of its links with the Yavanas.


In wide-ranging and ongoing excavations at Berenike launched from 1994 (and at many other places on the Eastern Desert), a team of dedicated archaeologists from the University of Delaware (United States) led by Prof. Steven E. Sidebotham, along with partners from several other institutions, has documented evidence of the cargo from the Malabar coast and people from South India being at the last outpost of the Roman Empire and of Indians on the Berenike-Nile road.

Among the unexpected discoveries at Berenike were a range of ancient Indian goods, including the largest single concentration (7.55 kg) of black peppercorns ever recovered in the classical Mediterranean world (“imported from southern India” and found inside a large vessel made of Nile silt in a temple courtyard); substantial quantities of Indian-made fine ware and kitchen cooking ware and Indian style pottery; Indian-made sail cloth, basketry, matting, etc. from trash dumps; a large quantity of teak wood, black pepper, coconuts, beads made of precious and semi-precious stones, cameo blanks; “a Tamil Brahmi graffito mentioning Korra, a South Indian chieftain”; evidence that “inhabitants from Tamil South India (which then included most of Kerala) were living in Berenike, at least in the early Roman period”; evidence that the Tamil population implied the probable presence of Buddhist worshippers; evidence of Indians at another Roman port 300 km north of Berenike; Indian-made ceramics on the Nile road; a rock inscription mentioning an Indian passing through en route; “abundant evidence for the use of ships built and rigged in India”; and proof “that teak wood (endemic to South India), found in buildings in Berenike, had clearly been reused”(from dismantled ships).

R. Krishnakumar

[Marathaman]

3,000-year-old history unearthed, archaeologists believe Jajmau mound could be holding more


Rich historical artifacts dating back to 3,000 years have been unearthed from the Jajmau mound on the bank of the Ganga in Kanpur where archaeologists belonging to Uttar Pradesh State Archaeology Department (UPSAD) have been doing excavation work for the last two and half years.

Evidences of ancient and medieval India, including Pre-Mauryan, Mauryan and Kushana periods, have been found and the archaeologists are confident that further excavation at the site can help in collecting the remains of a 4,000 year-old civilization.

The UPSAD team is presently working on a 1,700 sq metres area of the mounds, which extend up to 4,500 sq metres. For the construction of a parallel river bridge at Jajmau on National Highway route number 25 (Lucknow-Jhansi), a part of the famous mound is also being demolished.

The team of archaeologists has found well planned town structures that include drains, streets, granaries, house complexes comprising kitchens and bathrooms that are made of mud and burnt bricks.

The excavation of copper coins, seals, terracotta beads, pieces of pottery and utensils, bone arrow head, Northern Black polished ware, semi precious stones and glaze ware pottery along with the findings of a well-planned town structure point to a major change in the living and planning standards of people during the Kushana period which dates between 130 BC and 185 AD, experts said.

“The findings at Jajmau Tila reveal that people during Kushana period became more organised,” an official of the UPSAD said and illustrated it with the presence of a huge storage jar having the capacity to store one tonne of grains.

The articles found from the excavation site are being taken to Birbal Sahani Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow for the radio-carbon dating process.

“We are making efforts to contact coin and seed experts to know details of the findings,” said Rakesh Tiwari, Director, UPSAD.

“The findings at Jajmau will have an important role in following the country’s history,” an UPSAD official said. Most of the articles bear the trademark of Mauryan period (322 BC to 185 BC).

“Semi precious stones indicate that ornaments became an important part in the dressing of a male or females during the Mauryan period,” the official said. Lakhauri bricks used for construction of house complexes and glaze ware pottery are the two important evidences of medieval period recovered from Jajmau mound.

[VaastuShastra]

Originally Posted by Marathaman

South Indians in Roman Egypt?

There are thought to have been Theravada Buddhists in Roman Egypt.

The Greeks called them 'Theraputae' and they may have been an Ashokan era mission.

Some scholars speculate their presence may have influenced early Christianity.

[Marathaman]

Megalith menhir with rock engravings found

P. Samuel Jonathan




Throwing new light:Freelance archaeologist K. Venkateswara Rao stands beside the menhir which he discovered at Karampudi mandal in Guntur district.


GUNTUR: A megalith menhir with rock engravings, called petroglyphs, carved on it has been discovered on an open field on the left bank of Nagaleuru, a tributary of the Krishna at Karampudi, 100 km from Guntur.

The menhir is a significant remnant of the pre-historic megalithic civilisation, when humans used signs to communicate, and dates back to 1000 B.C-300 B.C. Menhirs throw light on socio-ritualistic and ancestral beliefs. Archaeological evidence indicates they were also used as places of worship.

A freelance archaeologist, K. Venkateshwara Rao, based at Tenali, discovered the menhir on a vast stretch of open field, which is believed to be a necropolis (cemetery), adjacent to the Karampudi-Dachepalli Road.

The necropolis was first discovered during 1870-71 by J.S. Boswell, Collector, Krishna, himself a keen archaeologist.

The lone and imposing Menhir, a standing stone erected in memory of the dead ones, measures 19.2 inches in height, 4.2 inches in width and is 7 inches thick.

‘Rare discovery'

Mr. Rao, who traced the Menhir after years of research, calls it a “rare and unusual discovery and probably the first-of-its kind in the country.”

While menhirs have been found in parts of Khammam, Warangal, Madhumala in Mahaboobnagar and Medak districts in Andhra Pradesh and at Boorj Home in Jammu and Kashmir, it is the first time a menhir with petroglyphs was found.

The rock engravings are at a height of 8-9 feet from the ground. The upper row has four concentric circles with four small lines and a small pointed base. Archaeological reports point that the figures resemble the Muslim religious symbols ‘peer.' Below these circular figures, shapes of a crawling animal with an elongated head, probably that of a mongoose, a humped bull with V-shaped antlers and a peacock are found. In the last row, two men are seen carrying a pole on their shoulders and moving east (sun).

A close observation of the menhir shows that it is erected facing north-east, pointing to the fact that it could have been erected during ‘uttarayana punya kalam' considered an auspicious period.

While the circular figures in the shape of a human head on the upper row depict the ancestral and ritualistic worship of the pre-historic human race, the row below it has figures of domestic animals and show that pre-historic man co-existed with animals and also domesticated them. The engravings of a tiger show that man hunted for livelihood.

“The rare discovery is of great historical importance and could lead to further study on pre-historic civilisations in the country,'' Mr. Rao said.

[Marathaman]

Stone inscription with Indus signs found in Gujarat



T.S. Subramanian


— PHOTO: V.V.Krishnan

SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY:R.S. Bisht, former Joint Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, pointing to the Indus inscription found engraved on a sandstone at Dholavira in Gujarat.


CHENNAI: An inscription on stone, with three big Indus signs and possibly a fourth, has been found on the Harappan site of Dholavira in Gujarat.

The discovery is significant because this is the first time that the Indus script has been found engraved on a natural stone in the Indus Valley. The Indus script has so far been found on seals made of steatite, terracotta tablets, ceramics and so on. Dholavira also enjoys the distinction of yielding a spectacularly large Indus script with 10 big signs on wood. This inscription was three-metre long.

Both the discoveries were made by a team led by R.S. Bisht, who retired as Joint Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India in 2004. While the stone inscription was discovered in 1999, the script with 10 large signs was found in 1991.

“The inscription on stone is unique because it is the first of its kind [in the Indus civilisation area]. It is the first inscription on a stone slab. But only part of it was found,” said Dr. Bisht, who led 14 field excavation seasons at Dholavira from 1989 to 2001. “It was a natural limy sandstone cut into shape and then engraved with an inscription,” he said.

The signs are seven cm tall and 6-10 cm wide.

The script has three large Indus signs, running from right to left, and there appears to be a fourth sign too. Dr. Bisht said: “The inscription must have run longer, but the stone was broken into pieces. The stone was used as ordinary building material for making an underground chamber in the bailey area of the citadel during stage five of the seven stages documenting the rise and fall of the Indus civilisation at Dholavira. It was placed in such a manner that it was facing us when we found it.”

He was sure that there must be more stone pieces with the Indus script there. He surmised that the stone with the script must have been used as a lintel of the doorway of the underground chamber so that people could notice it. The inscription could have stood for the name of the house, its owner or an incantation. “It is a closed book,” he said. (The Indus script has not been deciphered yet).

Michel Danino, independent researcher in the Harappan civilisation, called it “an unprecedented discovery because there is no stone inscription in the Indus civilisation.” Stone was a rare material on the Indus plains. “This is the first time we have come across a stone inscription, but it has not attracted the attention it deserves,” Mr. Danino said.

Dholavira in Kachch district is a major Indus site. It attracted wide attention in the 1990s for yielding what Dr. Bisht calls “a spectacularly large inscription made of 10 unusually big Indus signs” which were inlaid on a wooden board which had, however, decayed. The signs were made of thoroughly baked gypsum. It must have been sported right above the north gate of the castle, and “it must have been visible from afar with its white brilliance,” Dr. Bisht said.

Highly literate society

He argued that it was a highly literate Harappan society that must have existed at Dholavira because seals, tablets, pottery, bangles and even copper tools with Indus signs were found everywhere in the citadel, the middle town, the lower town and the annexe of the site.

Besides, the same seals, beads, pottery and ornaments were found everywhere as if the entire population had wealth. “It appears to have been an egalitarian society. On the basis of material culture, you cannot draw a distinction among the city's inhabitants,” he said.