Indian Archaeology 1969-70 A Review

215 Pages·2008·4.8 MB·English

by  Om Prakash

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1969-70

—A REVIEW

EDITED BY
B. B. LAL
Director General
Archaeological Survey of India

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

NEW DELHI

1973
Cover:
The Archaeological Survey. Of India, in collaboration with the Royal Afghan
Government, has undertaken a programme of conservation and preservation of
the famous rock-cut Buddhist shrines (third-sixth centuries A.D.) containing
images of the Small and the Big Buddha and the mural paintings. The photo-
graph shows the work in progress in the shrine of the 38-m. high Small Buddha.

1973
COPYRIGHT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Price: Rupees Twenty
PRINTED AT NABA MUDRAN PRIVATE LTD., CALCUTTA-4.
PREFACE
The Review for 1968-69, which was press-ready in August 1969, could see the light of
the day only towards the end of 1971. This has been due to many reasons which I need
not go into here. But I would certainly like to apologize to the readers for this inordinate
dealy. For the same reasons, the subsequent numbers have also been delayed. The present
number is now likely to be out by the end of this year, while that for 1970-71 about the
beginning of the next.
Very soon I would be relinquishing the charge of my office and hope that my suc-
cessor will have a better luck with the publication schemes which have got stuck up for
inordinately long periods.
I would like to express my gratitude 10 all those who have supplied the data for
inclusion in the present number. I would also like to thank Dr. G. S. Gai and Sarvashri B.
K. Thapar, Krishna Deva, R. Sen Gupta, M. C. Joshi, K. S. Ramachandran, N. C. Ghosh,
B. M. Pande, W. H. Siddiqi and S. R. Varma for the help they have so kindly given me in
the publication of this issue.
B. B. LAL
New Delhi
June 2, 1972

CONTENTS
PAGE
I. Explorations and excavations ... ... .... .. .... ... \
;
Andhra Pradesh, 1; Assam, 1; Bihar, 2; Delhi, 4; Gujarat, 6; Jammu and Kashmir, 10;
Kerala, 13; Madhya Pradesh, 16; Maharashtra, 17; Mysore, 29; North East Frontier Agency, 30;
Orissa, 30; Punjab, 30; Rajasthan, 32; Tamil Nadu, 34; Uttar Pradesh, 35.
II. Epigraphy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45
Sanskritic and Dravidic inscriptions, 45.
Andhra Pradesh, 45; Gujarat, 45; Jammu and Kashmir, 46; Madhya Pradesh, 47; Maha-
rashtra, 48; Mysore, 49; Tamil Nadu, 50.
Arabic and Persian inscriptions, 51.
Delhi, 51; Madhya Pradesh, 51; Rajasthan, 52; Uttar Pradesh, 53; West Bengal, 55.
III. Numismatics and treasure-trove ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56
Gujarat, 56; Maharashtra, 56; Orissa, 57; Rajasthan, 57; Tamil Nadu, 58; Tripura, 58; Uttar
Pradesh, 58.
IV. Other Important Discoveries ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 59
Bihar, 59; Gujarat, 59; Delhi, 59; Haryana, 59; Kerala, 59; Madhya Pradesh, 60; Maharashtra,
60; Mysore, 60; North East Frontier Agency, 60; Orissa, 60; Rajasthan, 61; Tamil Nadu, 61;
Tripura, 61; Uttar Pradesh, 62; West Bengal, 62.
V. Radiocarbon dates .., ... ... .., ... ..; ... ... 63
Andhra Pradesh, 63; Gujarat, 63; Himachal Pradesh, 65; Kerala, 65; Madhya Pradesh, 65;
Maharashtra, 66; Minocoy Island, 66; Mysore, 67; Rajasthan, 67; Tamil Nadu, 68; Uttar
Pradesh, 68; West Bengal, 69.
VI. Museums ... .., ... ... .., ... .., ... ... 70
VII. Architectural Survey of temples ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 78
Northern Region, 78; Southern Region, 78.
VIII. Preservation of monuments ... ... .., .., .., ... 84
Monuments of National Importance, 84.
Central Circle, 84; Eastern Circle, 85; Frontier Circle, 87; Mid-eastern Circle, 87;
Northern Circle, 88; North-western Circle, 89; South-eastern Circle, 93; Southern Circle,
93; South-western Circle, 96; Western Circle, 102.
Monuments maintained by States, 104.
Assam, 104; Gujarat, 104; Kerala, 105; Maharashtra, 106; Orissa, 106; Rajasthan, 106;
Tamil Nadu, 106.
IX. Expedition Outside India ... ... ... • - -., ... ... 108
X. Archaeological Chemistry ... ... ..., .., ... .., 109
Treatment of Monuments and Paintings, 109.
Bihar, 109; Delhi, 109; Gujarat, 109; Kerala, 109; Madhya Pradesh, '109; Maharashtra,
110; Mysore, 110; Orissa, 110; Punjab, 111; Tamil Nadu, 111; Uttar Pradesh, 111;
West Bengal, 111.
Treatment of Excavated objects and Museum exhibits, 111.
Analyses and research, 111.
XI. Archaeological gardens ... ... ... ... ... ••, ... ... 113
Andhra Pradesh, 113; Assam, 113; Bihar, 113; Delhi, 113; Goa, 114; Gujarat, 115; Kerala, 115;
Madhya Pradesh, 115; Maharashtra, 115; Mysore, 115; Orissa, 116; Rajasthan, 116; Uttar
Pradesh, 117.
XII. Publications ... ... ... ... ..-. ..; 118
Publications of the Survey, 118.
Other publications, 118.
(v)

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1969-70

—A REVIEW

1. EXPLORATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS
ANDHRA PRADESH
1. EXCAVATION AT BHATTIPROLU, DISTRICT GUNTUR.—With a view to ascertaining
the structural features of the Buddhist stupa at the site, a small-scale excavation was
conducted by Dr. R. Subrahmanyam of the South-eastern Circle of the Archaeological
Survey of India.1
The excavation revealed that the stupa was built of bricks (size: 45 X 30 X 8 cm.), the
dome masonry being in receding concentric circles. It had ayaka-platforms surmounted by
pillars at the four cardinal points. Resting over the drum of" the stupa, around the rise of
the dome was a 1.3-m. wide pathway. Remains of a railing were noticed around the stupa.
The upper five metres or so of the original dome have disappeared. According to
Alexander Rea, who had conducted excavation at the site as early as 1892, the stupa was
star-shaped on plan with a hollow in the centre and with a recorded diameter of
approximately 44 m. During the present excavation, however, the diameter was actually
found to be 47 m.
The excavation also laid bare two wings of the vihara attached to the stupa. Each
wing consists of a set of four rooms, measuring 2.75 x 1.8 m., with a common front
verandah and an entrance on the east. Besides, a square cell with semi-circular walls on
the three sides, representing possibly the earliest form of the chaitya-griha in Andhra
Pradesh, was also found. A stucco head of the Buddha (pl. IA) and a stone sculpture of a
seated nagaraja (pl. IB) were obtained from this area. Besides, sherds of the
Black-and-red and Red Polished Wares were also recovered.
2. EXPLORATION IN DISTRICT KRISHNA.—During the course of his exploration
around Akiripalli in Taluk Nuzvid, Shri T.V.G. Sastri of the South-eastern Circle of
the Survey found a neolithic celt from a field to the north-west of the village. He also
noticed megalithic burials in the mountain-slopes to the north of the village.
ASSAM
3. EXPLORATION IN DISTRICT GARO HILLS.—Under the auspices of the Department
of Anthropology, University of Gauhati, Prof. M. C. Goswami and Dr. T. C. Sharma,
assisted by Sarvashri Harish Chandra Sharma and Sankar Kumar Roy explored areas
1 The Archaeological Survey of India is referred to in the following pages as the ‘Survey’.
1
INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1969-70—A REVIEW
of the Arbella range and located three Stone Age sites at fl) Selbalgiri, Locality 3
(Mokbol-Chiring), (ii) Michimagiri, and (iii) Michimagiri, Locality 1.
Selbalgiri, Locality 3 (Mokbol-Chiring) lies about 3 km. from the village of Selbalgiri,
on way to Michimagiri. The site was covered by dense vegetation, forbidding a thorough
investigation of the area. However, a good collection of artefacts was made, which
included implements of the Early and Late Stone Ages. The tools were less rolled as
compared to those from other sites in the Garo Hills.
Michimagiri is situated on the slope of a hillock, about 4 km. from Selbalgiri. On
the northern slope of this hillock, which shows an eroded surface, a large number (over
six hundred) of heavily weathered and rolled stone tools were found. These belonged
variously to the Early, Middle and Late Stone Ages as also to the Neolithic assemblage.
Michimagiri Locality 1 lies on a hillock, locally known as Watri Abri, at a distance
of about 1 km. from the village. Over one hundred tools, variously belonging to the
Early, Middle and Late Stone Ages, and to the Neolithic Age were collected from the
site.
Typologically, the collection from the above-mentioned sites comprised the
following groups: -(i) large, roughly-flaked heavy tools such as choppers, handaxes,
discs and picks; (ii) small tools, mainly on flakes detached from large prepared cores of
doleritic basalt, such as scrapers, points, borers, etc.; (iii) microliths, made on thin flakes,
comprising parallel-sided blades, small scrapers, points, arrow-heads (?), etc.; and
(iv) chipped and ground celts and flakes, blades and arrow-heads, in association with a
crude, hand-made pottery.
BIHAR
4. EXCAVATION AT CHAMPA, DISTRICT BHAGALPUR.—The Department of Ancient
Indian History and Archaeology, University of Patna, under Professor B. P. Sinha,
undertook excavation at Champa, situated about 5 km. west of Bhagalpur. Besides the
impartation of training in field-archaeology to the post-graduate students, the principal
objective of the excavation was to determine the location of the ancient city of Champa,
mentioned in early Taina literature as one of the six important cities of the time of
Maha-vira and Buddha. The eastern portion of the mound, which was somewhat less
disturbed than the other three, was selected for the operations. With a view to
determining the nature of the defences, a trench, measuring 36 X 4 m., was laid out.
The excavation revealed a mud rampart, divisible into two phases. In the earlier
phase, it was of blackish soil capped by a rubble spread. A large number of terracotta
sling-balls, charcoal pieces, showing fibres of burnt bamboos, and ash were noticed in the
deposit. Other associated finds included a few copper cast coins, black-slipped and grey
wares and a few sherds of the Northern Black Polished Ware (abbreviated in the following
pages as N. B. P. Ware). In the later phase, the defences were built of yellow and red soils,
with an embankment of brick debris, possibly to prevent scouring by water. Associated
with this phase of the fortification were the N.B.P., and the black-and-red wares, Sunga
terracotta figurines and plaques, terracotta sealings, bone points, iron objects, cast copper
coins, and a few punch-marked copper coins with silver coating. At a distance of 4-5 m.
further west of the cutting was found a 'ghost wall' atop the rampart, possibly indicating
another structural phase of the fortification. The wall, however, has been completely
robbed leaving traces of the robber's trench.
2