1 4251 123 3rd Cent. BC 185 124 Pre-Mauryan 184 125 3rd Cent. BC 185 126 3rd Cent. B.C. 176 That there are a large number discrepancies also in the description of these Terracotta finds, which also create doubts upon the bonafides of the A.S.I. Team giving such incorrect descriptions. It is true that when archaeological deposits are disturbed, it is not surprising to find earlier material in later levels. This happens when construction or leveling activities require the bringing in of soil from peripheral areas or the clearing and mixing of older deposits. On the other hand, the reverse is impossible, that is we cannot, in an earlier stratified context, find material of later periods. However, the latter appears to be the case at Ayodhya in the context of terracotta figurines as seen in the tabulation provided on pp. 174-203. We find in numerous cases figurines of later periods in far earlier levels, as is evident from the following Table:- Table of Discrepancies in stratigraphy in relation to terracotta figurines Artefact details Discrepancies S. No. 50 R. No. 1027. Layer 2 below Floor 2 belongs to Part of human figurine. Medieval period. It is impossible Mughal level. G5, for a Medieval period layer to layer 2, below Floor 2 have material from Mughal period which is later S. No. 52 R. No. 393. Layer 5 in E8 is Post Gupta (7th - Animal figurine. Late 10th centuries AD). It is Medieval period. E8, impossible for late medieval layer 5 (Mughal) period material to be found in an earlier period. 4252 S. No. 67 R. No. 549. F9 layer 5 is Post Gupta. It is Animal figurine. Early impossible for Early Medieval Medieval. F9, layer 5 period material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 69 R. No. 594. E8 layer 5 is Post Gupta. It is Animal figurine. impossible for Medieval period Medieval. E8, layer 5 material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 71 R. No. 607. E8 layer 6 is Post Gupta. It is Animal figurine. impossible for Mughal period Mughal. E8, layer 6 material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 73 R. No. 628. E8 layer 6 is Post Gupta. It is Animal figurine. impossible for Mughal period Mughal. E8, layer 6 material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 76 R. No. 689. F8 layer 5 is Post Gupta-Rajput. Animal figurine. Early It is impossible for Early Medieval. F8, layer 5 Medieval period material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 84 R. No. 739. E8 layer 8A is Gupta level. It is Animal figurine. Post- impossible for post-Gupta period Gupta. E8, layer 8A material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 85 R. No. 762. E8 layer 9 is Gupta/Kushan level. Animal figurine. Post- It is impossible for Post-Gupta Gupta. E8, layer 9 period material to be found in Gupta/Kushan period which is earlier S. No. 86 R. No. 767. F8 layer 7 is Gupta level. It is Animal figurine. Post- impossible for post-Gupta period Gupta. F8, layer 7 material to be found in Gupta period which is earlier S. No. 90 R. No. 793. H4/H5 layer 4 is Early Medieval. Animal figurine. It is impossible for Medieval Medieval. H4/H5, layer period material to be found in 4 Early Medieval period which is earlier 4253 S. No. 114 R. No. 1087. G7 layer 10 is Kushan. It is Animal figurine. impossible for Gupta period Gupta. G7, layer 10 material to be found in Kushan period which is earlier S. No. 115 R. No. 1088. G7 layer 10 is Kushan. It is Animal figurine. impossible for Gupta period Gupta. G7, layer 10 material to be found in Kushan period which is earlier S. No. 119 R. No. 1152. G7 layer 13 is Sunga. It is Animal figurine. impossible for Kushan period Kushan. G7, layer 13 material to be found in Sunga period which is earlier S. No. 122 R. No. 1177. G8 layer 5 is Post-Gupta-Rajput. Bird figurine. Early It is impossible for Early Medieval. G8, layer 5 Medieval period material to be found in post Gupta period which is earlier 9.3. That it may also be pointed out that on p. 93 the Report mentions that shapes like sprinkler appear in Period IV (Gupta period). However, on p. 80, sprinklers are mentioned from Period II (Sunga level) that evolved into their diagnostic forms in the subsequent Period III or Kushan period. So also on p. 41, it is stated that layers 5, 6 and 7 in Trench G2 belong to the Medieval Sultanate level. In the schematic cross-section and tentative periodization, layer 2 and 3 belong to t he Medieval level. Hence, what is then layer 4? 3954. The rest of the two items i.e. "Archeaological members and Figurines" are mentioned in Chapter VI and chapter VII, description thereof is as under: "Consequent upon laying of a lay out for archaeological excavation of disputed site at Ayodhya, various architectural fragments consisting of pillars, pilasters, broken door jambs, lintels, brackets and etc. were 4254 retrieved as disjecta membra, ranging from surface of the mound to a considerable depth of various trenches. In this regard, the Fig. 58 shows spatial distribution of fragments of architectural members. These architectural members have been wrought on calcrete, black schist and sand stone. The last one does betray different colours like those of dull brown, pinkish as well as deep red with buff spots. Majority of these architectural members are fragmentary and plain in nature except for a few intact members like pillars, brackets and neatly dressed masonry slabs, etc. As such it becomes very difficult to identify the functional utility of all these members. A noteworthy aspect of some of these architectural members is the presence of mortises/open grooves of varying dimensions on the body of slabs which serve the purpose of providing dowels/clamps as binding factor. In many a cases iron dowels have been found in situ. Besides, there are also symptomatic features to the effect of reusing the earlier architectural members with decorative motifs or mouldings by re-chiseling the slab (Pls. 79-80, Fig. 59). A few intact architectural members like Amlaka (pl. 81, Fig. 59) pillar with Ghata-pallava base with dwarf beings as weight-bearers and Kirtimukhas (Pls. 82-83, Fig. 59) to mention a few, have also been recovered. Besides, there are a number of architectural members which have been decorated with deeply carved foliage motifs. This pattern is a distinct one resembling like that of "stencil" work (Pls. 86-87). It may be pointed out that the various architectural 4255 members with similar decorative designs have been found used in the foundation of one of the major brick structures (wall 16) ) exposed in these excavations. The aforesaid pillars and other decorative architectural members of this site like fragment of broken jamb with semi circular pilaster (Pl. 85) fragment of an octagonal shaft of Pillar (Pl. 84), a square slab with Srivatsa motif (Pl. 88) fragment of lotus medallion motif (Pls. 89-90) emphatically speak about their association with the temple architecture. Stylistically, these architectural members in general and pillars in particular may be placed in a time bracket of tenth-twelfth Century A.D. It is also pertinent to note that there are a few architectural members (Pls. 92-94), which can clearly be associated with the Islamic architecture on stylistic ground, which might belong to sixteenth century A.D. onwards. In addition to the architectural fragments, a highly mutilated sculpture of divine couple seated in alinganamudra has also been recovered. The extant remain depicts the waist, thigh and foot (Pl. 235). (Page 121-122) 3955. Thereafter a complete chart is also given which is not necessary to mention here. The "terracotta figurines" are in Chapter VII page 174 which says: "During the excavation 62 human and 131 animal figurines were found. In the consonance with the prevailing practice in the Gangetic valley, these figurines are the products of both handmade as well as moulding techniques. These terracottas are assignable from the pre-Mauryan to the previous century. They are both religious as well as 4256 secular, the former being represented as cult objects viz. mother -goddess. As a majority of them is fragmentary, save for a few, they could not be dated precisely on the stylistic grounds. The effigies of the mother-goddess exhibit archaic features and conspicuous girdle, whereas the Sunga, Kushan and Gupta specimen are varied and show stylistic affinity to their stone counterparts. But this cannot be applied to 'Archaic' figurines for want of their stone parallels. From the post-Gupta period onwards they are made of coarse clay with considerable admixture of husk. They were often slipped/washed with admixture of mica as the main gritty material to avoid cracking. The excavated clay figurines are described below mentioning their levels from which they were recovered. The appearance of the terracotta figurines of earlier periods in late levels was mainly due to large scale constructional activities like raising of massive walls; floor level especially during and post-Kushan period." 3956. With respect to figurines Statement of PW 29 (Jaya Menon) said: "It is correct to say that the figurines of elephant, tortoise and crocodiles – all made of terracotta, were recovered during the excavation. I know that the crocodile is the seat/vehicle of Hindu holy river Ganga.