Twenty Urn Burials Discovered Near Maski - India

From TheHindu.com
News» States» Karnataka
Bangalore, August 26, 2012

20 urns with skeletal remains found near Maski

Bageshree S.

A group of amateur photographers who had climbed up a hillock near Maski in Lingsugur taluk of Raichur district last week were in for a big surprise. They came across about 20 ancient urns with skeletal remains on the slopes of the hillock.

 

They learnt later that it was one of the ancient historic sites of Karnataka, many of which have been found in the past in Raichur, Gulbarga and Koppal belt. What the photographers had come upon was an urn burial site dating back to the Megalithic or Iron Age, which had got exposed following continuous rain that had washed off the top soil.

Other sites

Maski is also famous for the Ashokan rock edict which was discovered by a British mining engineer in 1915, which dates back to the 3rd Century B.C. Another important location is Hirebenakal in Koppal district, which has a massive dolmen burial site.

“Ancient burial sites of this kind have been mapped in Maski and in this belt in pre-independence period,” says K.R. Ramakrishna, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology and Museums. One of the early colonial archaeologists to study this region was Robert Bruce Foote.

‘Excavate to find more’

Channabasayya Hiremath, Associate Professor, L.V.D. College at Raichur, says research related to these sites was later carried out by archaeologist B.K. Thapar in 1954.

“What needs to be done now is further excavation because there must have been human habitation close to the burial site,” says Prof. Hiremath.

Prof. Channabasayya Hiremath says that the time period of the burial site at Maski may have been about 100 years later than the time of the Ashokan edict, which is on another hill about a kilometre away.

Dolmen site

The Hirebenakal site in the neighbouring Raichur is one of the largest clusters of Megalithic burial monuments in India with 400 port-holed dolmens, dated between 800 to 200 B.C. “The site presents quarry stones from which rock sheets were removed for erection of the monuments,” says Mr. Ramakrishna, adding that it points to sophistication in use of implements.

Neolithic implements, pottery, iron slag and cave paintings have been found around this area, pointing to continued and regular habitation in this region over a period of time. “As many as 10 rock shelters containing paintings ranging in date from Mesolithic period to early historic period have been found,” says Mr. Ramakrishna.

Variety in burial

Historians have talked about how the variety in these burial sites point to society which already had division of classes, with different kind of burials – such as pit, cist, urn and dolmen burials – indicating different social status.

8,000 Year Old Civilization on Konkan Coast, India?

Are these man-made structures -- walls?

From dnaindia.com
Photos: 8000-year-old advanced civilisation in Konkan Coast?
Published: Thursday, May 26, 2011 on 21:13 IST | Updated: Thursday, May 26, 2011 on 21:21 IST


One stretch of underwater wall off the Konkan Coast, western India.

 Did the Konkan coast from Shrivardhan in Raigad to Vengurla in Sindhudurga host a human habitat around 8000 years ago? Did that population have well-developed engineering skills? Was there a unique Konkan culture in existence in 6000BC?

A new archaeological discovery, below sea level along the Konkan coast, could give answers to these questions. And explorers say the answer could well be a big ‘Yes!’

Researchers have found a wall-like structure that is 24 kilometres long, 2.7 metres tall, and around 2.5 metres wide. The structure shows uniformity in its construction.

“The structure is not continuous throughout the 225 kilometres from Shrivardhan to Raigad, but it is uniform,” said Dr Ashok Marathe, professor, department of archaeology, Postgraduate and Research Institute, Deccan College, Pune.

“It has been found three metres below the present sea level. It has been constructed on the ancient sand beach, which was taken as the base for the construction. Considering the uniformity of the structure, it was obvious that the structure is man-made and not natural.”

The joint expedition carried by Deccan College and the central government’s department of science and technology, was in progress from 2005.

“We were actually studying the impacts of tsunamis and earthquakes on the western coast when we first found this structure in Valneshwar,” said Marathe. “Then we started talking with the locals and fisherfolks and we got news about more such structures below water.”

Marathe added that, the uniformity also shows that the people who built it belong to the same culture from Shrivardhan to Vengurla.
However, deciding the age of the structure was done on the basis of sea level mapping.

“There have been extensive studies about the sea water coming inside the land,” said Marathe. “The wall’s base, that is ancient sand, is about six metres below the present sea level. Based on the calculations, experts from the National Institute of Oceanography found the age of the wall as around 6000 BC.”

According to him, the sea was away from its present coastline in 6000 BC and this wall could have been an effort to prevent the sea water from coming inside the human habitat.

The discovery has raised a number of questions.

How were these huge stones of Laterite and Deccan Trap variety transported to the coast?

What exactly was the purpose behind building the wall?

If the date of the walls is true then is it from around the same time as the Indus Valley Civilisation?

Why has there been no mention of this civilisation till now?

Marathe, who will retire in July 2011, has asked more people to come forward to take his work ahead and to try to find answer to these questions.

India: Rare copperplate inscriptions found in Ahmednagar

Published: Saturday, Apr 9, 2011, 15:37 IST
By Pallavi Kharade | Place: Pune
From DNAindia.com

Two sets of rare copperplate inscriptions belonging to the Vakataka dynasty were discovered in Khandvi, in Ahmednagar district.

The artefacts have records about the grant regarding the Sahuli Village in Bhandara being donated by Vakataka ruler second Pravarsena in 442 AD. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute’s (Bori) assistant curator, Shreenand Bapat, gave the information during the PK Gode memorial lecture organised at the institute on Thursday. The ancient pieces were in the possession of farmers Bhagwanrao Vayase and Punajaram Vayase, and Popatrao Mergal for the past 10 years.

Bapat said, “Vakataka was a very powerful royal Indian dynasty that originated from Deccan in 275 to 500 AD. The copperplate is issued from the royal camp of Bharatwada in Nagpur district to a person named Kaluttakswami residing in Padmanagara. The original name of Sahuli is Chudubhunaka and it is situated on the right bank of the river Vainaganga. The rulers of the Vakataka dynasty which includes Pravarsena I, Rudrasena I, Prithivishena and Rudrasena II have been mentioned as predecessors of the donor king in the inscription. One also finds a reverent mention of Prabhavatigupta, mother of Pravarsena II, who was the daughter of Chandragupta Vikramaditya in the inscriptions.”

According to Bapat, the inscription has four plates put together with a ring and a royal seal. “The inscription measures 20.2 x 10.2 cm and weighs 1,719 grams. The grant is written in Sanskrit and inscribed in Brahmi script.”

MK Dhavalikar, who presided over the function, underlined the great contribution of Sanskrit scholar and archaeologist, VV Mirashi, in the study of Vakataka dynasty.

***********************************************************

Not explained: how these priceless copperplates ended up in the possession of farmers Bhagwanrao Vayase and Punajaram Vayase, and Popatrao Mergal 10 years or so ago. Also not explained, how these artifacts have now come to light...

1,000 Year Old Tamil Inscription Found

Millennium old Tamil inscription found in Trincomalee
[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 October 2010, 00:53 GMT]

The inscribed stone.  There are additional close-up photos in the article.

A stone slab having a Tamil inscription, clearly in the alphabet of the Chola times (c. 3rd century BCE - 13th century CE), was found in Trincomalee while digging for cricket stadium construction work recently. The land where it was found is a part of the esplanade, on the right side of the Koa’neasvaram Road leading to the Siva temple inside Fort Frederick and is adjacent to the bay where the temple’s Theerththam (water cutting) ritual is held. Sometimes back, a Buddhist Vihara and another structure called Sanghamitta Buddhist Rest were constructed at this place. The inscribed slab was taken into possession by the Trincomalee police and was sent to the Department of Archaeology in Colombo.

The construction work for a modern cricket stadium in the esplanade was financed by the Provincial Governor’s Fund.

The construction work in the land has been suspended by the Department of Archaeology.

The inscribed stone slab has a large perforation at the centre reminding of anchors and sluice-gates.

Academics are concerned about the safe custody of the inscription with the Department of Archaeology.

As there are no Tamil officials or no Tamil epigraphists in the Department of Archaeology, academic circles expect estampages of the inscription to be sent to relevant scholars as early as possible by the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka, for speedy dissemination of knowledge about the inscription.

Iron Age Burials Uncovered in Tamil Nadu, Including Stone Circles

Stone circles back in the news, this time in Tamil Nadu, India, dating to the Iron Age c. 500-300 BCE.  In fact, there is an incredible mix of burial techniques uncovered in this excavation:

Fron the hindustantimes.com
Iron Age burial sites found in Tamil Nadu
Press Trust Of India
Tiruchirappalli, August 13, 2010

Hundreds of Iron Age megalithic burial sites of different types and habitational deposits of the contemporary period have been discovered by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) at Sengalur village in the Pudukottai District of Tamil Nadu. More than 500 megalithic structures believed to be dating back to about 500–300 BC have been found during excavations carried out in an area of about 25 hectares at the village near Tiruchirappalli, a senior ASI official said.

“The findings are rare and the megalithic sites are one of the earliest architectural attempts of the people in South India,” ASI Superintending Archaeologist, Temple Suvey Project Southern Region, D Dayalan said.

The findings include stone circles of laterite or granite boulders and made with cairn packing, cist burial of different types, pit burial and urn burial with or without capstones. A special feature was the rectangular shaped structure of Iron Age sepulchral monument. It was unique and not found anywhere in South India except a solitary finding at Sittannavasal in the same district, he said.

The excavations also yielded habitational objects like potteries of different shapes and sizes including bi-coloured (red and black) pots besides iron objects at Melappatti.

New Explorations of Ancient Indian City

From The Times of India

Note: The location is on the east coast of India, Bay of Bengal, in Odisha or Orissa state. 

A city bigger than Athens?
Sandeep Mishra, TOI Crest, Aug 7, 2010, 01.25pm IST

Just outside Bhubaneswar, around 2,000 years ago, stood one of old India's biggest cities. When they chanced upon Sisupalgarh, excavators could only gape in astonishment at its modern ways

Sisupalgarh sounds like a happening settlement by historic standards: a sprawling urban settlement that housed 20,000-25,000 people, street-linking gateways, pillared meeting halls, water storage systems and disposable vessels for daily use. In one of the richest hauls for archaeologists in the country in recent times, a 12-member Indo-American expert team discovered the remains of a city from the early historic period in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar two years ago.

The team, comprising representatives from Deccan College, Pune, and the University of California, in collaboration with the ASI, had conducted surface excavations at the fortified site first reported by Prof B Lal in 1948. Fresh excavation was restarted in 2005 to learn more about this mystery city. A large quantity of debris, including household pottery and terracotta ornaments, were discovered during the exercise.

Enthused over the findings, the head archaeologist of the excavation, Monica L Smith from the University of California, had then told TOI: "This is the most visible standing architectural monument discovered in the country so far. It is a huge city existing about 2,000 years ago."

The pillars were possibly part of a gigantic structure and used for public gatherings. According to an archaeologist from Deccan College, Pune, R K Mohanty, a city could be known from its walls. "When it has such well-built walls and such a big expanse, it means it was a very important city," he says. Explaining the importance of the ancient city, Mohanaty says Sisupalgarh has four gateways and could have housed a large number of people (compare this to the 10,000 Athens could manage). From photographs taken through geophysical research methods, the team had found that a huge urban setup, a much larger area than could possibly be excavated, had existed at the site.

"The findings were mind-boggling. The lifestyle of the people then could be more advanced than present-day life," Smith had said. "Potteries found are polished and have ownership marks. The huge number of cups and bowls suggest people then practiced a use and throw system."

It is hard to say what sent Sisupalgarh into terminal decline. The data and findings when they will be made available to scholars could lead to a conclusive answer.

Brahmi-Inscribd Stone Discovered in Guwahati State

Please take this article with a large grain of salt.  After reading a few paragraphs it was clear to me that this discovery is being used to advance the Brahmin (Hindu) side of the ongoing cultural wars taking place in India.  I do not know how that war will eventually resolve itself - or perhaps it never will.  But readers should be aware of the ongoing tensions in Indian culture and how, unfortunately, this has carried itself over into archaeological discoveries.  Rather like the United States today.  Sad.  Very sad.

From The Assam Tribune
Rare stone inscription unearthed

Staff reporter

GUWAHATI, May 21 – The Archaeology Directorate here has acquired a Brahmi stone inscription that is described to be the largest of the stone inscriptions in Brahmi script found so far in the State. This has established beyond doubt expansion of the Brahmanical culture to far eastern areas of North Bank part of the State.

The piece of this stone inscription was discovered on April 23 last at the Tipling Sarbajanin Sankar Ashram Siva Mandir, Bhogpur, Narayanpur under Bihpuria Police Station in Lakhimpur district. Mahendra Hazarika of Tipling Kachuwa village under Narayanpur Revenue Circle stumbled upon this precious piece of stone at the Siva Mandir complex.

Archaeology Director Dr HN Dutta told this newspaper that the piece of the stone measures 85 cm in length, 34 cm in width and 15 cm in thickness. It has 19 lines of writing engraved in Brahmi script, of which 16 lines are in its edge and all lines are executed horizontally in the smooth surface of the stone. The inscription is datable to 900 AD, said Dr Dutta.

This is the only Brahmi inscription found in Lakhimpur district so far. After the Harzarbarman Rock Inscription of the 8 th Century AD, this is the only Brahmi inscription found so far in the North Bank of the State, Dr Dutta said.

The evidence of the expansion of Brahmanical culture, beyond Da-Parbatia archaeological site in Tezpur, on the North Bank of the State, is found only recently at Gardaul archaeological site, Tezpur and Bamgaon archaeological site at Biswanath Chariali. The Da-Parbatia archaeological site was discovered in 1936.

The discovery of this stone inscription in Pathalipahar has proved the expansion of Brahmanical culture to far eastern region of the North Bank. Earlier, the discovery of stone temple relics at Lonpani Devalaya, Gosaipukhuri, now known as Yuba Nagar in Laluk area of Lakhimpur district, had threw some lights on the expansion of the Brahmanical culture to this part of the State.

However, archaeological evidences of the mediaeval period are found in this part of the State.

The piece of stone was preserved by the Tipling Siva Mandir committee with much care after it came to its knowledge that the stone contains the valuable inscription. It was handed over to the Archaeology Directorate by the temple committee at the instance of the police and civil administration of the district.

The origin of the piece of stone has been traced to Pathalipahar campus of the Sankaradeva Mahavidyalaya. It came to the Siva Mandir with the earth removed from the Pathalipahar area by the college authorities for construction activities. The dug out earth of the area was taken to the site of the under-construction railway over bridge on the NH-52 for earth work.

Following this discovery, Dr Dutta has asked the Sankaradeva Mahavidyalaya authorities to abandon further digging activities in the Pathalipahar area without the prior permission of the Archaeology Directorate.

Hikers Discover 1500 Year Old Ruins in Kashmir

From Yahoo News (India):

Expeditioners find ancient artefacts in Kashmir
Thu, Apr 15 11:33 AM
Two Expeditioners of South Kashmir's Anantnag district have stumbled upon what they believe to be a 1500-year-old archaeological site in Zalangam village, 85 kms from here, and have suggested to the ASI to undertake excavation work there.

"When we set out for an expedition in the forest, little did we know that we were to discover an ancient civilization," Malik Tariq, an oncologist at S K Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, and Abdul Rouf, an engineering student told reporters.

They said they were researching the springs of Zalangam when they stumbled upon the site where artifacts, bricks, Neolithic-age rocks, stone sculptures and coins were present. The site is located in a forest at a distance of two km from the famous spring of Kokernag in Anantnag.

"It is a prospective archaeological site. It might prove that Kashmiris were exposed to industrial culture much before 5th century when iron ore was used", Rouf and Tariq said.

The duo said they could not excavate the entire field "without any official authorization" and instead consulted the valley's renowned archaeologists and historians.

After discovering the site on February 28, they have been scanning the area and collecting artefacts like pottery, terracotta tiles, bricks, stone sculptures, metal slag and ancient coins.
The duo also released a monogram 'Zalangam: Archaeological Discovery' that offers vivid details of the findings.

The duo suggested that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) take over the site and initiate excavations.

Noted historian Fida Mohammad Hassnain said artifacts like pottery; tiles and bricks found at the site were of the Buddhist era. "Buddhist monks who participated in the 4th Buddhist Council in Kashmir may have visited the place before 5th century," he said.

Hassnain, who is also the former director of archives, archaeology, research and museums, said, "The discovery also depicts that iron ore was used by Kashmiris in the past".

*****************************************************************

Oh no - removing artifacts from context - bad, bad, bad!  And they "wrote a monogram" on their discoveries?  What?  Oh yeah, nothing like inviting all the looters into the area, if they haven't already been there.  Geez!  Why not give out GPS coordinates while you're at it, dudes!  If - and that is a big if - the ASI ever gets someone out to investigate the site, there won't be anything left to investigate. 

Ancient Trade: South Indians in Egypt

I read this story and found it interesting - a "teaser" story but not really giving us the goods - see prior post about archaeologists bitching about "private hire archaeologists" not "publishing" their works but they don't deliver the goods themselves (unless you pay through the nose for it, and sometimes they don't ever publish a thing about their findings - why?  Ha!  What's good for the goose is good for the gander, darlings! (Map from article - see link below)

My initial response after reading this story was - well, of course -  but why wouldn't the researchers have assumed that such was going on almost from the beginning of this cross-ocean contact/trade?  People act like people, for Goddess' sake!  We move around, we're always on to the next 'big adventure' - whatever that may be, we like to bond and usually will, after initial hesitations and cultural misunderstandings are got past -- in short, meeting and mixing is the herstory of humankind!  It's human nature to act so.

So why should it be a surprise that sailors and traders from South India moved into ancient Egypt after travelling there and back who knows how many times and left evidence of their residency behind?  Why wouldn't a researcher assume that the Egyptians and Romans hired or otherwise obtained the services of Indian navigators and sailors, who were experienced in the ways of navigating using the Monsoons? 

Thank goodness it was bone dry Egypt where the trade and cross-cultural settlements took place because some evidence of the residency of the South Indian peoples and that trade survived there, else those same experts would probably be claiming that no such cross-cultural trade, visitations and settlement ever took place.  Rather reminds me of how experts have pooh-poohed Gavin Menzies' theory that 15th century naval power China traveled around the world and left calling cards (people and settlements) years before the Europeans dreamed of doing so (and just where did the Europeans get those maps anyway???) 

Volume 27 - Issue 08 :: Apr. 10-23, 2010
INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINE
from the publishers of THE HINDU

South Indians in Roman Egypt?

Gujarat Forged Trade with Harappans

I'm glad to see this kind of research coming out of India. For too long, the Harappan civilization has been under-explored by its own descendants!

From The Times of India
Gujarat exported jewellery to Harappan cities
Parth Shastri , TNN, Mar 22, 2010, 03.39am IST

AHMEDABAD: A large quantity of seals and beads used in making jewellery during the Harappan civilisation were recently found at Kanmer near Bhachau. The archaeology experts in the state were elated as the discovery proved that Kutch region those days had a production capacity and also a trade link with other parts of India and world, like Himalayan regions and parts of Pakistan, where similar beads have been found.

Studies taken up by state and central archaeology institutes have also shown a trade route covering central Asia, Himalayan areas and Gujarat.

A research paper on the economy of Harappan civilisation and development of smaller centres published in a British journal this month shows how the civilisation spread from Gujarat plains to Himalayan regions and parts of Pakistan in Indus-Saraswati river valley. The research was carried out jointly by YS Rawat, director of State Department of Archaeology; DP Agarwal of Lok Vigyan Kendra, Almora; JS Kharakwal, department of archaeology, Rajasthan Vidhyapeeth, Udaipur; and T Osada, Institute of Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan.

The paper also tries to define the specific regions producing items of trade. According to the researchers, the flourishing ports gave a huge boost to the region's development.

"Since the very beginning of Harappan civilisation, procurement and distribution of natural resources was a focal point of the people. Due to geographical distances, it led to development of small and medium-sized towns on the route that took shape of accepted trade highways," said Rawat.

"The Harappan elite needed ornaments made of gold, silver, agate, chalcedony, steatite, copper, shell, lapis lazuli and sodalite, many of which were taken from Gujarat to areas in northern Himalayan region. The requirements led to development of sites like Makran, Surkotada, Bagasara, Dholavira, Kuntasi, Kanmer and Shikarpur in Gujarat," said Rawat.

According to archaeology experts, various artefacts found in Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions such as Manda (Jammu), Kotla Nihang and Ropar (Punjab), and Kashipur in Kumaon region are believed to have been manufactured in Gujarat.

"Most importantly, jewellery made of semi-precious stones, clay capsules and shells were the main items of trade from Gujarat. Agate also formed a large part of export from this state," said Rawat.

In Gujarat, sites like Kanmer yielded a large amount of bead-making material as more than 20,000 steatite beads were found at an excavation site in the area, indicating their industrial importance.

"Several small sites in Gujarat like Surkotada, Desalpur, Gola Dhoro, Kuntasi, Rajpipla, Kanmer and Shikarpur have disproportionately large fortifications compared to their settlement size. Such massive expenditure of energy and material on fortifications could be justified for economic protection," said Rawat.

Evidence of Man in India 15,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

February 23, 2010 14:09 PM

Newly Discovered Archaeological Sites In India Reveals Ancient Life

LONDON, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Newly discovered archaeological sites in southern and northern India have revealed how people lived before and after the colossal Toba volcanic eruption 74,000 years ago, according to Press Trust of India (PTI) on Tuesday.

The international and multidisciplinary research team, led by Oxford University in collaboration with Indian institutions, has uncovered what it calls 'Pompeii-like excavations' beneath the Toba ash.

The seven-year project examines the environment that humans lived in, their stone tools, as well as the plants and animal bones of the time.

"This suggests that human populations were present in India prior to 74,000 years ago, or about 15,000 years earlier than expected based on some genetic clocks," said project director Michael Petraglia, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford.

The team has concluded that many forms of life survived the super-eruption, contrary to other research which has suggested significant animal extinctions and genetic bottlenecks.

According to the team, a potentially ground-breaking implication of the new work is that the species responsible for making the stone tools in India was Homo sapiens.

Stone tool analysis has revealed that the artefacts consist of cores and flakes, which are classified in India as Middle Palaeolithic and are similar to those made by modern humans in Africa.

"Though we are still searching for human fossils to definitively prove the case, we are encouraged by the technological similarities.

An area of widespread speculation about the Toba super-eruption is that it nearly drove humanity to extinction.

The fact that the Middle Palaeolithic tools of similar styles are found right before and after the Toba super-eruption, suggests that the people who survived the eruption were the same populations, using the same kinds of tools, says Petraglia.

The research agrees with evidence that other human ancestors, such as the Neanderthals in Europe and the small brained Hobbits in Southeastern Asia, continued to survive well after Toba.

Although some scholars have speculated that the Toba volcano led to severe and wholesale environmental destruction, the Oxford-led research in India suggests that a mosaic of ecological settings was present, and some areas experienced a relatively rapid recovery after the volcanic event.

The team has not discovered much bone in Toba ash sites, but in the Billasurgam cave complex in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, the researchers have found deposits which they believe range from at least 100,000 years ago to the present.

They contain a wealth of animal bones such as wild cattle, carnivores and monkeys.

They have also identified plant materials in the Toba ash sites and caves, yielding important information about the impact of the Toba super-eruption on the ecological settings.

-- BERNAMA

"Kushan" Dice Found in India

Pre-historic findings in Rajasthan district
February 3, 2010
Special Correspondent Article from The Hindu Online:

JAIPUR: Fragments of pre-historic ostrich eggshells estimated to be 25,000 years old and earthen dice belonging to the Kushan period are the latest additions to a treasure trove of archaeological objects discovered in Bundi district of Rajasthan. The findings are set to throw new light on the hoary past of the Hadauti region which is believed to have sustained an ancient civilisation.

Amateur archaeologist Om Prakash Sharma alias Kukki, who has made the spectacular discoveries, was honoured at the Republic Day ceremony of the Directorate of Archaeology at Albert Hall Museum here on January 26.

A barely literate grocer with a passion for artefacts of yore, Kukki has discovered rock paintings belonging to the Mesolilithic-Chalcolithic age and numismatic objects and tools of the Copper Age and the Mauryan and post-Gupta period in the vast hilly tracts of Bundi, Kota and Bhilwara districts over the past two decades.  .  .  .  .

Kukki says he discovered about 20 earthen dice from the mounds in Richcha Ki Jhonpriya hamlet, 34 km from Bundi, at the end of the previous monsoon when the soil from the mounds shifted naturally. “The small cubes are tastefully designed with lines, which probably denote the number assigned to each of them,” he says.

The dice, used on the chessboard for the indoor games of chance, belong to the Kushan period of 1st to 3rd Century A.D. Kukki affirmed that if the sand mounds in the region are excavated the traces of an ancient civilisation and human habitation could be found, connecting the missing links in Indian history.

*********************************************************************

Note: I am thinking that the "earthen dice" must be some form of hard-fired clay, otherwise they probably would not have survived since the 2nd or 3rd century, CE. 

DNA Study in India: Founded by Two Distinct Peoples

Talk about politically explosive! Oh my! You can just see what's coming - and the argument about the "Aryan" invasion of India will continue with new vigor... Article from newkerala.com Indian ancestry revealed in massive study London, Sep 25 : The largest ever DNA survey of Indian heritage has revealed that the population of India was founded on just two ancient groups that are as genetically distinct from each other as they are from other Asians. The findings of the study, conducted by a group of top international geneticists, have strong implications for health and medicine, and reveal important new information on caste in India. The study shows that most Indian populations are genetic admixtures of two ancient but genetically divergent groups, which each contributed around 40-60 percent of the DNA to most present-day Indians, Nature magazine reported Wednesday. One ancestral lineage - genetically similar to Middle Eastern, Central Asian and European populations - was higher in upper-caste individuals and speakers of Indo-European languages such as Hindi, the researchers found. The other lineage was not close to any group outside the Indian subcontinent, and was most common in people indigenous to the Andaman islands, says the study conducted by a team led by David Reich of the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Lalji Singh of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, India. Nature said that although India makes up around one-sixth of the world's population, it has been "sorely under-represented" in genome-wide studies of human genetic variation. The Indian Genome Variation database, launched in 2003 to fill the gap, has so far studied only 420 DNA-letter differences, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in 75 genes. In sharp contrast, the study reported by Nature has probed more than 560,000 SNPs across the genomes of 132 Indian individuals from 25 diverse ethnic and tribal groups dotted all over India. The researchers also found that Indian populations were much more highly subdivided than European populations. But whereas European ancestry is mostly carved up by geography, Indian segregation was driven largely by caste. "There are populations that have lived in the same town and same village for thousands of years without exchanging genes," said Reich. The authors of the study said the new genetic evidence refutes the claim that the Indian caste structure was a modern invention of British colonialism. "This idea that caste is thousands of years old is a big deal," said Nicole Boivin, an Oxford University archaeologist. "To say that endogamy (the practice of marrying within a caste, community or tribe) goes back so far, and that genetics shows it, is going to be controversial to many anthropologists." The study also suggests that Indian populations, although currently huge in number, were founded by relatively small bands of individuals - a finding that has clinical implications. "There will be a lot of recessive diseases in India that will be different in each population and that can be searched for and mapped genetically," Reich said. "That will be important for health in India."

Tamil Nadu Dig Reveals Iron Age Finds

From The Hindu.com Monday, June 22, 2009 : 1905 Hrs Iron Age graveyard unearthed in Tamil Nadu Dindigul (PTI): A glass bead-making unit and an Iron Age graveyard, both about 2,500 years old, have been unearthed during the ongoing excavation in and around Porunthal, 12-km from here, an archaeology expert said. The excavation made at Paasi Medu (bead mound) venue, a site spread over 5.5 hectares on the ancient East-West Trade route linking Tamil Nadu and Kerala, revealed presence of a glass bead manufacturing unit, Prof K Rajan, Archaeology Department, University of Pondicherry, told reporters at Palani near here on Sunday. They also recovered thousands of beads in various colours including red, white, black, yellow, maroon and green from the site along with 30 identical redware bowls, triangular terracotta pieces and two furnaces. This could have been the place where glass beads had been manufactured in ancient Tamil Nadu, he said. "We feel that this place might have been a glass bead manufacturing factory. It should be around 2,500 years old," said former archaeology professor Shanmugam. The 'Indo-Pacific' beads could have been exported through Musiripattinam in Thrissur district of Kerala. The glass unit was the first such found in India, Mr. Rajan said. "We recovered only slightly damaged beads," he said. The study of the site revealed Porunthal had been a trade centre. A statue of a bull was yet another finding. A first Century AD Terracotta figurine of a male had also been unearthed besides ivory dice, earrings and copper coin. [Parts from a board game, perhaps? Photos - we need photos!] The team doing research at the site included students and professors from Puducherry University, Tamil University, Mangalore University and Srivenkateswara University. They found several iron age burials at the foothills of the Westerghats near Chinna Gandhipuram. The graves found at the site had been fenced by boulders. Archaeology officials said these cist burials were of simple nature. A burial with 12.5-metre-diametre revealed the rich culture of the people of the area. There were two decks and two port holes in the bicameral cist. About 3,000 beads of semi-precious stones were also recovered around the skeletal remains. The findings suggest that people could have performed some ritual for the dead, they said. From near the burials, mud pots of red, black and shining black were also found.

5th Century CE Indian Artifacts Discovered

Photographs! I want photographs! LOL! From the Online Edition of The Hindu 5th century artefacts discovered in West Bengal Raktima Bose Saturday, June 6, 2009 KOLKATA: The arrival of Buddhism in Bengal was till now traced back to the 7th century post-Gupta period. But recent archaeological excavations by the State’s Directorate of Archaeology and Museums at a non-descript village named Dheka in Murshidabad district have thrown up seals and artefacts dating back to the 5th century AD – indicating the presence of the religion in the region much earlier than was previously thought. The site is just 20 kilometres off Karnasubarno, which was considered the earliest Buddhist site in the State and houses the ruins of the ancient Buddhist university of Raktamrittika that finds mention in the travelogues of the famous Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang (7th century CE Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India during the reign on the first Tang Dynasty Emperior, Tai Zong). “The presence of several mounds in the region adjoining Karnasubarno always made me curious,” Amal Roy, superintendent of archaeology at the State’s Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, told The Hindu here on Friday. “So we started excavating at one such site named Deuliapar in February this year and stumbled upon the artefacts.” Among the articles recovered are fragmented stucco figurines, terracotta plaques, earthen lamps, iron nails and slugs, beads, bangles and hopscotch made of terracotta and, most interestingly, terracotta seals inscribed with scripts used way back in 5th century AD. Mr. Roy said that two names – Vijayachandrasya and Vainya – have been deciphered from the seals, though their identities are yet to be established. “We still do not have any concrete evidence as to whether it was a Buddhist site or not. But its close proximity to Karnasubarno and the nature of the artefacts excavated so far are strong indications of its Buddhist affiliation,” Mr. Roy said. The site has three layers, which indicates that it has undergone three phases of construction in the past, starting from the post-Gupta period. Mr. Roy said that the earliest used bricks were large and highly decorated with geometrical patterns. Some were even adorned with stuccos. The later ones were much smaller. Interestingly, archaeologists have lately discovered another site named Ugura, which is not very far from Deulipar, where excavations have revealed Buddhist sculptures inscribed with the image of Lord Buddha. “There is a high possibility that the region housed a flourishing Buddhist centre in early times. The entire picture will become clear once the excavation is completed,” Mr. Roy said. “What we have found till now is just the beginning.”

70,000 Year Old Artifacts Found in Orissa

Story from the Hindustan Times: Cultural remains of 70,000-year-old civilisation found in Orissa Priya Ranjan Sahu, Hindustan Times Sambalpur, March 08, 2009 First Published: 01:30 IST(8/3/2009) Last Updated: 12:08 IST(8/3/2009) In a major breakthrough, researchers from Sambalpur University recently discovered the cultural remains of a civilisation that is supposed to be more than 70,000 years old. The discovery was made at Barpadar village in the upper Jira river of Bargarh district in Orissa. "The site has tremendous potential for further research to unravel the Palaeolithic life in this part of the sub-continent," said the head of the research team P.K.Behera of the university’s History department. The Palaeolithic period is the second part of the Stone Age, beginning about 750,000 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the Ice Age around 8,500 years BC. The archaeological excavations were conducted near Barpadar village by the bank of the Jira river. The work was also assisted by Prakash Sinha of the Department of Archaeology, Allahabad Central University. The team, including history students of the university, found stone tools like axes, cleavers and scrapers at the site. The stone tools, used for food processing -- cutting, chopping and scraping -- were manufactured on par with European and African models. Behera and Sinha are of the opinion that the site was inhabited by the Palaeolithic band for food processing purposes. However, in the absence of evidence of on-site manufacturing of processing tools, the experts observed that these tools were manufactured elsewhere -- where suitable raw materials such as fine-grained quartzite was available. The raw materials were brought to the site in finished forms for use. "Future excavations will reveal the nearby manufacturing sites also," Behera told HT. Behera said the geomorphological situation of the area indicated that the site must have provided an ideal environment with rich bio-diversity and a perennial water supply to the Palaeolithic settlers for prolonged inhabitation at the site. Plant phytolith samples were collected from the excavated deposit for further study, which will reflect the type of plants exploited by the early Hominids.

35 Ancient Statutes Discovered in Indian Temple Renovations

From Sify News:

Ancient idols found, devotees throng Gujarat temple
Tuesday, 15 April , 2008, 22:43

Palanpur (Gujarat): The Palaviya Jain temple in the walled city here is witnessing an unusual rush of devotees - and art lovers - to catch a glimpse of 35 ancient idols recovered last week during the temple's reconstruction.

The idols, said to have been crafted during the 14th century, are of the Jain deities Parshavnath, Adinath, Devendranath and other Tirthankars.

Vikram Samwat 1310,1320,1330,1335 and 1340 are the inscriptions on these idols, clearly etching the years according to the Hindu calendar when they were made.

Sailesh Mehta, Trustee and in-charge of the temple's reconstruction work, told IANS that some idols are of marble and black stone while a few are cast in metal. “The digging would be limited to the foundation work,” he added.

The idols offer a fascinating peep into the cultural history of ancient Gujarat.

“Since the idols are similar to those in Patan and Siddhpur Jain temples of Gujarat and those of Delwara temple in Mount Abu, there must have been close links between the artisans in Patan, Siddhpur and Delwara. These idols created by artisans of the 14th century are indeed amazing,” said Mukund Brahma Kshatriya, a scholar.

Yaswant Rawal, a researcher of cultural history of north Gujarat, said that the site from where the idols were recovered was once under dense forest cover before it became a part of the expanded town. The place formed part of King Dharavarsha Parmar's kingdom of Chadaravti extending up to Mount Abu. The king and his younger brother Chandra Singh Parmar embraced Jainism.

“The dexterity in carving these stone idols is amazing. Artisans would have tested the quality of the stone before bringing out the life-like images,” said idol maker Jingoish Sompura.