Indian Archaeology 1963-64 a Review
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1963-64 —A REVIEW EDITED BY A. GHOSH Director General of Archaeology in India ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA GOVERNMENT OF INDIA NEW DELHI 1967 Price : Rupees Ten 1967 COPYRIGHT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF I N D I A GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PRINTED AT THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PRESS, FARIDABAD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This annual Review, the eleventh in the series, incorporates material received from different contributors to whom I am grateful for their co-operation. They are no doubt responsible for the facts and interpretation of data supplied by them. At the same time, I would hold myself responsible for any editorial errors that might have unwittingly crept in. I thank my colleagues and staff in the Archaeological Survey of India for their help in editing the Review and seeing it through the press. New Delhi : The 21st March 1967 A. GHOSH (iii) CONTENTS PAGE I. Explorations and excavations 1 Andhra Pradesh, 1 ; Assam, 4 ; Bihar, 5 ; Gujarat, 9 ; Kerala, 13 ; Madhya Pradesh, 14 ; Madras, 17 ; Maharashtra, 21 ; Mysore, 23 ; Orissa, 27 ; Panjab, 27; Rajasthan, 28 ; Uttar Pradesh, 39 ; West Bengal, 59. II. Epigraphy ........................................................................................................................ 66 Sanskritic and Dravidic inscriptions, 66. Andhra Pradesh, 66 ; Bihar, 68 ; Delhi, 68 ; Goa, 68 ; Gujarat, 69 ; Himachal Pradesh, 69; Kerala, 69 ; Madhya Pradesh, 70 ; Madras, 71 ; Maharashtra, 72 ; Mysore, 72; Orissa, 73 ; Rajasth an, 74; Uttar Pradesh, 74. Arabic and Persian inscriptions, 75. Andhra Pradesh, 75 ; Bihar, 75 ; Delhi, 76 ; Goa, 76 ; Gujarat, 76 ; Madhya Pradesh, 77 ; Madras, 78 ; Maharashtra, 79 ; Mysore, 80 ; Panjab, 81 ; Rajasthan, 81 ; Uttar Pradesh, 81 ; West B«ngal, 83. III. Numismatics and treasure-trove ..................................................................................... 84 Andhra Pradesh, 84 ; Bihar, 84 ; Kerala, 84 ; Madhya Pradesh 84 ; Maharashtra, 84; Mysore, 84 ; Uttar Pradesh, 85. IV. Other important discoveries ........................................................................................................... 86 Andhra Pradesh, 86 ; Bihar, 86 ; Gujarat, 86 ; Kerala, 86 ; Madhya Pradesh, 87 ; Maharashtra, 89 ; Mysore, 90 ; Orissa, 90 ; Panjab, 90 ; Rajasthan, 91 ; Uttar Pradesh, 91 ; West Bengal, 92. V. Museums .......................... ...................................................................................... 93 VI. Expedition outside India ................................................................................................ 100 VII. Preservation of monuments .......................................................................................................... 102 Monuments of national importance, 102. Central Circle, 102 ; Eastern Circle, 104 ; Mid-eastern Circle, 106 ; Northern Circle, 107 ; North-western Circle, 108 ; South-eastern Circle, 110 ; Southern Circle, 112; South-western Circle, 115 ; Western Circle, 116. Monuments maintained by States, 118. Andhra Pradesh, 118 ; Gujarat, 118 ; Kerala, 118 ; Mysore, 119 ; Orissa, 119 ; Rajasthan, 119. VIII. Archaeological Chemistry ..................................................................................................... 120 Treatment of monuments and paintings, 120. Andhra Pradesh, 120 ; Assam, 120 ; Bihar, 120 ; Delhi, 120 ; Kerala, 120 ; Madhya Pradesh, 120 ; Madras, 121 ; Maharashtra, 122 ; Mysore, 122 ; Orissa, 122 ; Panjab, 123 ; Rajasthan, 123 ; Uttar Pradesh, 124 ; West Bengal, 124. Geochronological studies, 124. Treatment of excavated objects and museum-exhibits, 125. Analysis and research, 125. DC. Archaeological gardens ................................................................................................................. 127 Andhra Pradesh, 127 ; Bihar, 127 ; Delhi, 127 ; Kerala, 127 ; Madhya Pradesh, 127 ; Maharashtra, 127 ; Mysore, 128 ; Rajasthan, 128 ; Uttar Pradesh, 128. X. Publications ........................................................................................................................... 129 Publications of the Survey, 129. Other publications, 129. (v) INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1963-64 —A REVIEW I. EXPLORATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS ANDHRA PRADESH 1. EXCAVATION AT POCHAMPAD, DISTRICT ADILABAD.—With a view to salvaging the antiquities from the area likely to be submerged by the dam across the Godavari, the Department of Archaeology, Government of Andhra Pradesh, under Shri Mohd. Abdul Waheed Khan, conducted a small-scale excavation at Pochampad. In the course of preliminary exploration, cairn-circles, cists and a rectangular platform, perhaps for exposing the dead body, were located on the right bank of the Godavari. As a result of excavation, three burials were exposed. One of these, marked by a double circle of stones on surface, showed a 1-8-m. deep pit, rectangular on plan and with a north-south orientation. Within the pit and at different levels were found pottery of the megalithic Black-and-red Ware and all-black and red wares. Besides, iron objects comprising lances, javelins, daggers, sickles and cross-strapped hatchets were also obtained. Surface-exploration nearby also yielded microliths including parallel-sided blades, points, lunates, etc. 2. EXPLORATION IN DISTRICT CHITTOOR.—Dr. K. D. Banerjee of the Prehistory Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India1, assisted by Shri M.V. N. Krishna Rao and Shri B. P. Bopardikar explored Early and Middle Stone Age sites, with a spread of various types of tools, in the conglomerate hills near Sivasankarapuram. During their exploration, they discoyerd a cave and two rock-shelters near Vembakhandiga, with Early Stone Age tools in the vicinity, and also re-examined the rock-paintings near Ubbaracheruvu, in Nagalapuram hills, discovered earlier by Shri A. V. N. Sharma of the Government Museum, Madras. The paintings, rendered in white pigment, depict scenes of dancing and riding on horse-backs. With their style far removed from the other rock-paintings of India, they do not seem to be of any antiquity and may in fact be tribal. Early and Late Stone Age sites were also brought to light in the vicinity of Ubbaracheruvu, and along a nullah. Shri M. L. K. Murty of theDeccan College.Post-graduate and Research Institute, Poona, explored the river Rallakalava around Vedullacheruvu, 4 km. north-west of Renigunta on Kalahasti Road. The site was later visited by Professor H. D. Sankalia, Dr. V. N. Misra and Shri S. N. Rajguru. Tools of the Early and Middle Stone Ages were found in the loose gravels as well as from well-defined river-sections and those of the Late Stone Age from the top of the river-terraces. The river-sections showed three cycles of deposition: (i) well-cemented pebbly gravel overlain by a thick deposit of red 1 The Archaeological Survey of India is referred to in the following pages as the 'Survey'. INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 1963-64—A REVIEW silt, yielding rolled tools of the Early Stone Age; (ii) loose pebbly gravel laid up against the earlier one and capped with yellow silt, yielding a mixed industry of the Early and Middle Stone Ages; and (iii) recent. The Early Stone Age tools were made of quartzite, worked both unifacially and bifacially and included rastrocarinates, choppers, cleavers, scrapers and handaxes ranging from crude to very fine in form. The Middle Stone Age assemblage, dominated by scrapers, indicated the use of fine-grained quartzite as the raw material. Late Stone Age tools, of the non-geometric type, were made of crystal-quartz. 3. EXPLORATION IN DISTRICTS GUNTUR AND MEDAK.—The Department of Archaeo logy, Government of Andhra Pradesh, under Shri Mohd. Abdul Wahecd Khan, explored the sites of Kundamotu and Guddimalkapur lying respectively in Districts Guntur and Medak. At the former site, located nearly 64 km. from Guntur, on the road to Macherla, was discovered a square brick shrine containing an oblong panel carved with six figures in bas-relief resembling the Nagarjunakonda sculptures. From the latter site were obtained a hoard of one hundred and seventy-one gold coins, including two of Aurangzeb and others pagoda and half pagoda, besides some stucco and red-slipped pottery. 4. EXCAVATION AT DHARANIKOTA, DISTRICT GUNTUR.—In continuation of the previous year's work (Indian Archaeology 1962-63-A Review1 p. 1), the South eastern Circle of the Survey, under Shri M.Venkataramayya, assisted by Shri K. Ragha- vachari, resumed excavation at Dharanikota. With a view to correlating the deposits of the channel-embankment with the habitational strata as also to confirming, on the southern side, the navigational channel with its brick revetment, exposed earlier on the western side, two cuttings, labelled respectively DKT-2 and DKT-3, were undertaken this year. Besides, the last year's trench (DKT-1) was further extended on the eastern half. At DKT-1, most of the phases of the make-up of the fort-wall, as exposed on the western half (pl. I), were recorded on the eastern half as well. A noteworthy variation, however, was observed in Phase V, which on;the eastern half alone showed an important structural activity in the form of reinforcement of the inner side of the embankment with laterite blocks sealed by layers of rubble stones. Traces of occupation over the revet- ments in the shape of storage-jars and small vases were also attested. At DKT-2, it was observed that the same laterite ridge as at DKT-1 underlay the occupational strata. The upper deposits in this cutting showed a slopy tendency, perhaps resulting from water-logging or from the formation of