Indian Archaeology 1991-92 A Review - Archaeological Survey of

324 Pages·2008·6.35 MB·English

by  Om Prakash

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1991-92
— A REVIEW

EDITED BY
B.P. Singh
Secretary Department
of Culture
&
Director General
Archaeological Survey of India

PUBLISHED BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
JANPATH, NEW DELHI
1996
Adam: 1, view of excavation; 2-3, bone comb

(obv. & rev), Period V

1996
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Price : Rs. 384.00
PRINTED AT M/S BENGAL OFFSET WORKS, 335, KHAJOOR ROAD, NEW DELHI -110005
PREFACE
The present issue of Indian Archaeology 1991-92 —A Review is being published after a gap of
one full year, since the last issue appeared in June 1995. Despite requests made by my
predecessors in the earlier issues of the Review, most contributors fail to send the material within
the scheduled date specified, and many do not even conform to the established format and style. As a
result, contributors have to be often reminded, which delay matters, and editing takes more time than
is normally required. I would, therefore, again request all contributors of the Review, to send their
material well in time, and as per format prescribed. I would also like to request my colleagues in the
Survey in particular, to bear in mind the need for timely submission of their reports, while ensuring
quality of content. On our part, we shall make every effort to clear the backlog of this important
publication.
I thank the State Governments and their respective Departments of Archaeology and Muse-
ums, Universities and Research institutions, Museums containing archaeological collections
located in different parts of the country, the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, and the
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, and the different branches and circles of the
Archaeological Survey of India who have contributed to the Review.
The present issue of the Review contains information on a wide gamut of activities in the field of
archaeology covering exploration and excavation, epigraphy, numismatics and treasure trove,
architectural survey, radiocarbon dates, palaeobotanical and pollen-analytical studies, museums,
preservation of monuments and archaeological sites, archaeological chemistry, archaeological
gardens and also a brief account of the chemical cleaning and structural conservation and
preservation of Angkor Vat, which was executed by the Survey during the period.
While the present issue of the Review contains information on a wide sweep of archaeological
activities in the country, I would like to mention in particular some of the important excavations
included in the Review which are : (i) Taradih, Maner and Kolhua in Bihar; (ii) Padri, Pithad and the
famous Harappan site of Dholavira in Gujarat; (iii) Anangpur and Kunal in Haryana; (iv) Hampi and
Budihal in Karnataka; (v) Maihar in Madhya Pradesh; (vi) Adam, Shirkanda and Arambha in
Maharashtra; (vii) Kanchipur in Manipur, (viii) Vadagokugiri in Meghalaya; (ix) Barabati fort,
Lalitagiri, Golbai Sasan and Manamunda in Orissa; (x) Arikamedu in Pondicherry; and (xi)
Jainal-Naula, Ladyura and Imlidih-Khurd in Uttar Pradesh. Several new inscriptions in Sanskrit
and Dravidian languages, as well as in Arabic and Persian are also reported in the Review.
Scholars and interested readers will, I am sure, find this an informative and useful edition of
the Review.
I would like to thank my colleagues B.M. Pande, Director, C. Dorje, Superintending
Archaeologist and Arundhati Banerji, Deputy Superintending Archaeologist and the other staff in
the Publication Section of the Survey for their efforts in bringing out this issue.
B.P. Singh
9 September 1996 Director General

CONTENTS
PAGE
I. Explorations and Excavations .................................... 1
Andhra Pradesh, 1; Bihar, 4; Delhi, 9; Goa, 16; Gujarat, 18; Haryana, 35;
Karnataka, 39; Madhya Pradesh, 52; Maharashtra, 60; Manipur, 75; Meghalaya,
76; Nagaland, 82; Orissa, 83; Pondicherry, 89; Punjab, 90; Rajasthan, 93; Tamil
Nadu, 96; Tripura, 97; Uttar Pradesh, 97; West Bengal, 111
II. Epigraphy ... ... ... ... ... 114
Sanskritic and Dravidic Inscriptions, 114
Andhra Pradesh, 114; Gujarat, 115; Karnataka, 115; Madhya Pradesh, 116;
Maharashtra, 116; Rajasthan, 116; Tamil Nadu, 117; Uttar Pradesh, 118
Arabic and Persian Inscriptions,! 18
Andhra Pradesh, 118; Gujarat, 119; Orissa, 119; Rajasthan, 119;
Uttar Pradesh, 119; West Bengal, 120
III. Numismatics and Treasure Trove... ... ... ... ... 121
Karnataka, 121; West Bengal, 122
IV. Other Important Discoveries ... ... ... ... ... 123
Andhra Pradesh, 123; Bihar, 125; Gujarat, 125; Himachal Pradesh, 125;
Karnataka, 125; Kerala, 126; Madhya Pradesh, 126; Maharashtra, 127;
Manipur, 127; Rajasthan, 127; Tamil Nadu, 128; Uttar Pradesh, 130;
West Bengal, 132
V. Radiocarbon Dates ... ... ... ... ... 133
Arabian Sea, 133; Gujarat, 134; Himachal Pradesh, 135; Jammu and
Kashmir, 135; Karnataka, 136; Madhya Pradesh, 136; Maharashtra,
137; Rajasthan, 138; Uttar Pradesh, 138
VI. Palaeobotanical and Pollen Analytical Investigations ... ... ... 139
Bihar, 139; Punjab, 139
VII. Museums ... ... ... ... ... 141
VIII. Architectural Survey ... ... ... ... ... 147
Temple Survey, Northern Region, 147; Temple Survey, Southern Region, 154
Building Survey, 154
IX. Preservation of Monuments ... ... ... ... ... 157
Monuments of National Importance, 157
Agra Circle, 157;Aurangabad Circle, 160; Bangalore Circle, 162; Bhopal
Circle, 166; Bhubaneswar Circle, 170; Calcutta Circle, 172; Chandigarh
Circle, 173; Delhi Circle, 174; Guwahati Circle, 175; Hyderabad Circle, 176;
Jaipur Circle, 178; Lucknow Circle, 179; Madras Circle, 180; Mini Circle,
Goa, 184; Mini Circle, Shimla, 185; Patna Circle, 186; Srinagar Circle, 186;
Vadodara Circle, 187
Monuments Maintained by the States, 188
Andhra Pradesh, 188; Assam, 188; Delhi, 189; Karnataka, 189;
Manipur, 190
X. Expedition Outside India ... ... ... ... ... 191
Preservation of Angkor Vat Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 191
XL Archaeological Chemistry ... ... ... ... ... 197
Treatment of Monuments and Paintings, 197
Andhra Pradesh, 197; Assam, 197; Bihar, 198; Daman and Diu, 198;
Delhi, 198; Goa, 199; Gujarat, 200; Haryana, 201; Himachal Pradesh, 202;
Karnataka, 202; Kerala, 203; Madhya Pradesh, 204; Maharashtra, 205;
Orissa, 206; Pondicherry, 207; Rajasthan, 207; Tamil Nadu, 207;
Uttar Pradesh, 209
Treatment of Excavated Objects and Museum Exhibits, 210
Research and Analysis, 211
XII. Archaeological Gardens ... ... ... ... ... 214
Andhra Pradesh, 214; Jammu and Kashmir, 214; Karnataka, 214;
Rajasthan, 214; Orissa, 214; Tamil Nadu, 214; Uttar Pradesh, 215
XIII. Publications ... ... ... ... ... 216
Publications of the Survey, 216
Other Publications, 216
INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1991-92 —A REVIEW

I. EXPLORATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS
ANDHRA PRADESH
1. EXPLORATION AT PENNER, DISTRICTS CHITTOOR AND NELLORE.— G. Kamalakar of Birla
Archaeological & Cultural Research Institute, Hyderabad, and his team explored parts of Nellore and
Chittoor districts.
The exploration was undertaken with the objective of identifying fossil strands in the Pulicat lake
area and correlating them with the fluvial deposits and cliff sections of the Penner river.
The Pulicat lake area with extensive plantation beyond its western shore and distantly overlooked by
the Satyavedu, Nagari and Nagalapuram hills is ideally suited for fossil marine strands. An extensive (+8
m) strand was identified between Thada and Nayudupet, along the National Highway No. 5. An older
strand 20 m high above the MSL was observed on the route to Satyavedu between Bathulavallam and
Thageli. Both the strands are now lateritised the 20 m strand to vermiform and the 8 m high strand to
pisolithic from Thageli to Rallakuppam. There is a steady rise of land level appearing as if they were
eroded terraces.
2. EXCAVATIONS AT GUDISALA, DISTRICT KARIMNAGAR.— The Department of Archaeology and
Museums, Government of Andhra Pradesh, unearthed a temple-complex, foundation of an enclosure
wall, gateway and a revetment wall of a pushkarini at Gudisala, situated about 30 km away from the
Warangal-Karimnagar highway.
3. EXPLORATIONS IN DISTRICT MAHBOOBNAGAR.—- D.R. Raju and N. Chandramouli of Telugu
University, Srisailam, in the course of explorations in the Amrabad region of district Mahboobnagar
discovered the Lower Palaeolithic sites at Motukuruva Vagu, Desamkuruva Vagu, Selamala Vagu,
Bondakuruva Vagu, Padra, Kondavanipalli Tanda, Rayalagandi Tanda and Vankeswaram.
Motukuruva Vagu (MKV) (16° 21' 47" N; 78° 49' 55" E; 600 m AMSL) is 1 -5 km south of Amrabad at
the foothills about 2 km east-north-east of Desamkuruva Vagu. A hill stream coming from the hill
ranges at Amrabad, which flows into Mandavagu has cut across the granitic bedrock which is
weathered. The artefacts are washed down from the granitic surface into the bed of the nullah which is
1 m to 2 m wide. Overlying the granitic bed rock there is 50 cm to 1 m thick red earth and at times
consolidated calcium carbonate nodules. The artefacts from this site include handaxes, cleavers, cores,
bifacial and unifacial points, scrapers both simple and levalloisian flakes, quartzite cobbles, pebbles,
chunks and blocks of stones. The site extends right from the foot hills into the cultivated fields and
measures about 1 km x 1 km but the artefacts are scattered in the cultivated fields far beyond the nullah.
INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 991-92 ~A REVIEW
Desamkuruva Vagu (DKV), 16° 21' 21" N; 78° 49' 03" E; 600 m AMSL), is about 1 km from
Selamalavagu (SLV) located 2 km (aerial distance) south of the Mannanur-Amrabad route and about 3
km south-west of Amrabad.
A few small freshets criss-cross and lead into the cultivated fields. The slopy plain is replete with
pebbles, cobbles and blocks of quartzite and some on quartz. Some of the fresh handaxes and cleavers
are found scattered in the eroded gully surfaces. A few specimens, buried or partially exposed, have lime
encrustation on them. There are a few weathered specimens also which are probably exposed for a very
long time. The gully bed which is filled with sand is about 1 -5 m wide. On the weathered bed-rock, there is
a 20 cm thick red sandy clay overlying which is a pebbly boulder deposit in which tools are found. The
artefacts are spread over an area of 200 m x 100 m.
Selamala Vagu (SLV) 16° 21' 15" N; 78° 48' 36" E; 620 m AMSL), is 2 km south-east of Kottapalli
village, about 2 km east of Turakapalli and about 2-5 km south-east of Venkateswarla bhavi all of which
lie within 2-5 km south of Mannanur-Amrabad road at the foot of the hills running parallel to this road. It
is 3-5 km south-west of Amrabad.
Several rain gullies originating from the hills cut across a gentle slopy plain and drain into the
irrigation tank about 1 km north-west of the foothills. Handaxes and cleavers lie buried in the lateritic
deposit about 30 cm to 40 cm below the surface. Fine quartzite of grey and brown shades is available in
plenty. Apart from handaxes and cleavers and other associated artefacts, a few fine blades on quartzite are
also noticed. On the whole, the industry appears to be of late Acheulian phase.
Bondakuruva Vagu (BKV) (16° 21'49" N; 78° 51' 18" E; 600 m AMSL), is about 3 km south-east
of Amrabad at the foothills and about 2 km south-west of Madhavanipalli. There is an irrigation tank
north of the site and a shallow depression which is converted into an irrigation tank, 2-5 km north of the
site. A small gully originating from the hills has cut across and exposed fresh artefacts on the
calcareous kankar bed. Overlying the granitic bed-rock there are very fine handaxes, cleavers, flakes
and other artefacts spread over an area of 500 m x 500 m.
Padra (PDR) (16° 21' 15" N; 78° 52' 20" E; 592 m AMSL) is 2-5 km north of Rayalagandi Tanda.
There is an irrigation tank 1.4 km north-north-west of Padra. A small tunnel cutting across the fields
near the fort in ruins has exposed a few Acheulian artefacts. Here the horizon of the tools is clear. They
are sitting right on the top of the weathered granite surface. When the top soil, which is 80 cm in
thickness gets eroded, the tools are washed into the tunnel bed.
Kondavanipalli Tanda (KPT) (16° 25' 03" N; 78° 52' 35" E; 600 m AMSL) is 0.5 km south-south-
east of Tanda. There is an irrigation tank 1.5 km north-north-west of the site. About 100 m from the
newly-dug well and about 500 m from the hills in the agricultural fields is a small strip of 150m X 10m.
The top mantle which is greyish sandy soil is stripped off by erosion and has exposed a cluster of
artefacts on weathered granitic bed-rock. There are quartzite blocks, cobbles, chunks, cores, flakes,
handaxes, cleavers and bifacial points, numbering about twenty. From the distribution pattern of the
artefacts which are on pale yellowish and brownish quartzite spread in a more or less circular cluster, it
appears to be an activity locus where tools were made and used for various purposes. Artefacts are
found scattered all over in the cultivated fields around the Tanda.