From: krishna@iss.nus.sg (...Krishnamoorthy.)
Subject: NEWS: Traces of ancient culture in N-E
Originator: krishna@suliman
Organization: National University of Singapore
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 03:11:35 GMT


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                        Traces of ancient culture in N-E
                        --------------------------------
                               By P.K.Surendran


   (This article excerpted from the Times of India, Bombay, 21 August 1992)

The Times of India News Service:
Nagpur, August 20.

The belief that the north-eastern states had had no ancient cultural heritage
   may  explode  if  a  couple  of  excavations undertaken by the pre-history 
   branch of the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) in Manipur and Meghalaya
   are properly evaluated. 

Initial finds from the  first-ever scientific  excavations  in the two north-
   eastern states launched  during March  last  have  brought  out  tell-tale 
   evidence indicating that these areas had nurtured an advanced civilisation
   somewhere in the early Christian era.  The  settlements, says the ASI team,
   evidently had cultural links with the Indo-Gangetic plains and south India
   probably via the Brahmaputra river which was then highly navigable. 

Remains of a mud-and-brick fortification of 5 km radius were unearthed in the
   west  Garo  Hills  of  Meghalaya - the  largest  ancient  township  so far 
   discovered in this part of the country. This settlement was  on  the  left 
   bank of Brahmaputra which  has  since  then  withdrawn 10  kilometres away 
   owing  to  seismic  disturbances   and   silting,   says  Mr   A.K.Sharma, 
   superintending archaeologist at Nagpur who had led the investigating team.
 
The  most  exciting  finds in the hills site included the lay-out of a unique
   octagonal Shiva Temple,  palace  and residential complexes, a giant stupa, 
   some 30 small temples within  the  fortified area. Existence of the temple
   and  stupa  alongside  point  out  to the once flourishing co-existence of 
   Hindu-Buddhist cultures in the region. 

"Going by the evidence so far  unearthed,  one could reasonably conclude that 
   the  Garo  Hills  settlement  could  be  the  one  finding  mention in the 
   travelogue of the Chinese historian, Huang-Tsang," says Mr Sharma. 

The video tape of the finds show octagonal temples as an  evidence of amazing
   architectural skill of the tribals there. The main  octagon  made of burnt
   bricks is of seven metres in diameter sporting eight arms, each  measuring
   2.70 metres. There are eight miniatures octagons each  having a Shivalinga
   inserted in a  yoni.  From  the  debris  recovered  it  is  clear that the 
   superstructure was resting on nine wooden poles, Dr Sharma observed.

The stupa, a clear  indication of Buddhist influence, is 5.75 metres high and
   30 metres in diameter. Built in  a  pyramidal fashion it bears resemblance
   to the stupa of  Chaukhandi  at  Sarnath, connoting  the relationship with 
   the rest of India. 

Digging deep  below the stupa the team came across three habitational layers.
   These  layers  have  yielded  brickbats, fine hand-made grey and red ware,
   charcoal, animal bones refuge pits and rammed floor. The floor bore a thin
   layer of fine river sand indicating the  possiblity of the township having
   wiped out by massive floods. 

Numerous masked skulls, sculptured terracota  tiles,  hand  made  pottery and 
   curious bric-a-bac collected from Saketa in Manipur along with  the  finds 
   of the Garo Hills setlement indicate the antiquity of  the settlements  to 
   the Christian era or even earlier. 

The  historical  treasures  of Manipur and Meghalaya emerging from the north-
   east are a chance finds, recalls Mr Sharma.

The  Union  minister  for  labour  and  mines,  Mr P.A.Sangma,  has urged the
   government to set up a  special  project  in  the  Garo  Hills site  which 
   incidently falls in his constituency.

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