Lok Sabha Question No. 2448 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-01
Subject: Treasures/Artefacts Found During Excavation
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: MUKESH RAJPUT, MANSHANKAR NINAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2448 TO BE ANSWEREED ON 01.08.2016

## TREASURES/ ARTEFACTS FOUND DURING EXCAVATION

## †  2448.   SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT: SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered artefacts and found evidence of valuable treasures of rulers of different time periods of India;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the total number of sites where research and excavation activities are presently being carried out by the ASI;
- (c) the  details  of  artefacts  found  during the  excavation  in  different parts of  the  country, State-wise including Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh along with the names of the places where these articles have been kept;
- (d) whether the Government has any plan to undertake more excavation work in future and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government has formulated any plan to conserve, renovate/ rejuvenate historical monuments located on the banks of the Ganges in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof?

## MINISTER OF STATE, CULTURE AND TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) Yes, Madam.
- (b) The details of the excavations carried out by the Archaeological survey of India (ASI)
- & during the year 2015-16 are at Annexure. However, the Archaeological Survey of India
- (c) has not conducted  any  excavation in Farrukhabad  district. The  objects/articles recovered from the excavations are well preserved and under the custody of concerned field offices of Archaeological Survey of India.
- (d) Yes, Madam.  Such  excavations are normally conducted during the month  of November/December to April/May depending upon climate conditions and requirement of a site after the recommendation of Standing Committee of Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (SC of CABA).
- (e) No, Madam. No such specific plan has been formulated by ASI.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  PART  TO  (  b)  &  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2448 FOR 1.8.2016

## STATEMENT SHOWING THE EXCAVATION CARRIED OUT BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIAL SURVEY OF INDIA DURING THE  YEAR 2015-16.

Some of the sites excavated by Archaeological Survey of India which have yielded important finds are mentioned below:

## 1.      Binjore,  District ,Shri Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan, 2015-16.

There are two cultural assemblage found during the excavation i.e. EarlyHarappan and Mature-Harappan, represented by various antiquities such as fish-hook, arrowheads, knife, celt, bangles, terracotta bangles, faience bangles,  shell  bangles,  beads  of  carnelian,  agate,  faience,  gold  foil  and ring, terracotta toy cart frame, cake mustika & bull figurine. Harappan seal made of steatite depicting figure of unicorn with five letters on Harappan script. The early Harappan level has revealed pottery similar to the Kot-diji, which includes vase, basin, jar and goblet. Lots of storage pots have been found placed over stand to store the food grains. The structures of EarlyHarappan period were made of mud bricks (size of 10:20:30 cm.) In the Early-Harappan  phase  Hakara  ware  (incised  and  mud  appliqué  design) has also been found.

## 2. .      Rukministhan, District, Nalanda, Bihar,2015-16

The  mound  revealed  several  structures  like  votive  stupas,  brick  walls, steps to the north of the temple containing colossal image of Buddha and rammed  floors  etc.  The  remains  of  an  enclosure  wall  were  exposed measuring  about  25  m  towards  southern  portion  of  the  site.  These structures as per their nature and associated antiquities and potteries are ranging from Gupta to Pala period. The important antiquities like terracotta sealings, inscribed tablets,  fragments of sculptures  of  Ganesh  and Avalokiteshvara,  beads,  sling  balls,  etc.  were  found  during  excavation. The pottery revealed from excavation consists of red ware and red slipped ware.

## 3.     Suabarei, District  Puri (Odisha) V, Bhubaneswar, 2015-16.

The significant achievement of the excavation at Suabarei is the evidence of a separate Neolithic horizon attested by the presence  of gritty handmade  potsherds  of  thin  to  medium  fabric  and  a  chisel  of  dolerite below chalcolitic level separated by a sterile layer number (11) measuring a maximum thickness of 55 cm in Qdt. 2 of XB1 and about 25 cm in Qdt. 4 of  ZB2.  Besides,  a  large  number  of  charred  animal  bones  having  cut marks, charred tortoise cell, charred fish bones and pieces of mollusc cells and  charred  grains  have  also  been  found  from  the  excavation.  Circular huts with post holes, series of hearths, floor levels, burning activities with ash & charcoal and flood deposits have also been encountered during the course  of  excavation.  Although  the  excavation  has  not  yielded  the  any evidence of human burial, however, evidence of animal burial represented by animal bones along with miniature pots probably with favourite grave goods have been found which indicate the burial practice for their favourite animal.

The  excavation  at  Suabarei  has  proved  that  it  was  an  important  NeoChalcolithic site in between the Daya River and the Gangua rivulet. They were subsisted by hunting, gathering, fishing and farming as evident from the  charred  animal  bones,  fish  bones,  fish  hook  and  charred  grains.  A single  shark  tooth  found  from  the  excavation  suggests  some  sort  of probable sea link. Presence of carnivorous canine teeth also indicates the hunting of wild animals etc.

## 4.        Vadnagar, District, Mehsana, Gujarat ,2015-16

The excavations at Vadnagar was a multidisciplinary approach involving archaeology (geo and landscape archaeology), geo-informatics and sedimentology.  The  earliest  deposit  of  the  sites  goes  back  to  1 st -  2 nd Century  BCE  at  Baba  -no  Tekdo  locality  as  more  than  300  coins  of various  metals  and  alloys  such  as  copper,  lead,  potin,  billon  etc.  of different periods have been found during the course of excavation.Besides coin  blanks,  seal,  weights  stone  beads,  pendant,  glass  bangles,  bone objects, terracotta figurines etc, have also been found.

At Kirti Torana revealed remains of the 9 th -10 th Century CE so far. A few burnt  brick  structures  like  remains  of  houses,  walls,  floors,  drains  and  a unique furnace was found during the course of excavation, besides fine quality of ceramics.

The  entire  process  of  study  and  analysis  is  to  compose  the  several phases  such  as  the  digitization  of  known  geomorphological,  geological and archaeological data from primary and secondary sources, creation of Digital  Elevation Models (DEM) for the entire Mehsana district, creations of  slope  and  aspects  from  resultant  DEMs  and  employing  complex algorithms and decisive models in ArcGIS.

Sequential Query Language or SQLs were created in ArcGIS to identify regional centres with close proximity to various resources and proximity to other  sites.  As  a  result  several  archaeological  maps  of  various  themes were recorded for Mehsana district with special reference to Vadnagar.

## 5.       Keeladi, District, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 2015-16.

The site has revealed early historic remains (c. 3 rd BCE - 3 rd CE) in the form  of  brick  structures  and  also  evinced  interesting  finds  like  Rouletted and  Arretine  pot  sherds  suggesting  trade  contacts  maintained  by  this settlement  with  western  world.  These  pot  sherds  are  considered  deluxe varieties  and  might  have  been  reached  here  through  traders.  At  a  later date  these  varieties  were  imitated  and  manufactured  locally  at  the  site. Another  important  find  during  the  excavations  are  that  of  inscribed  pot sherds having names of individuals written in Tamil - Brahmi script over them.

Besides the above, the site has also yielded antiquities like glass, pearl and terracotta beads, terracotta figurines, grooved roof tiles, legged quern, antimony rods, spearhead, hop scotches, etc. The ceramic assemblages

## 6.     Vangchhia, District Champai, Mizoram- 2015-16

A team of an archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India has recently excavated the site at   Vangchhia, District Champhai Mizoram, They also discovered  one  of  the  Biggest  Necropolis  (Burials/related  structures)  in India.