Archaeological Investigations At and Around Umbardi, Taluka Mangaon, District Raigad, Maharashtra Anjay Dhanawade1, Salil Sayed2 and P. P. Joglekar2 1. M. M. Jagtap Senior College of Arts, Science and Commerce, District Raigad, Mahad 402 301, Maharashtra, India (Email:
[email protected]) 2. Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed to be University, Pune – 411 006, Maharashtra, India (Email:
[email protected]) Received: 26 July 2017; Revised: 21 September 2017; Accepted: 04 November 2017 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 5 (2017): 1013‐1029 Abstract: The archaeological remains of a deserted town were discovered in 2014 at Umbardi in Mangaon taluka of Raigad district. This article presents the preliminary findings of the explorations at the site and its surroundings, with a primary aim of reporting newly discovered structural remains. Many features such as fortification walls, dilapidated temple complexes and foundations of houses point to a large settlement. Perhaps this was an important town controlling a mountain pass that connected the Konkan and the upland region during the Medieval period. The ruins of the town and those in its surrounding area are described and put in relation with the local and regional geography to forward the hypothesis about importance of mountain passes for guarding trade connections. Keywords: Medieval Archaeology, Konkan, Trade Routes, Umbardi, Temple, Fortification, Ceramics Introduction During one of the visits (in 2012) while exploring the surroundings of Kurdu Fort in Mangaon taluka of Raigad district remains of old constructions in the thick forests near Umbardi village were observed by the first author (Figure 1).