Archaeological artefacts belonging to 1st-Century AD found in Odisha

Puri: Some archaeological artefacts, which date prior to the 1st Century AD, have been found while digging a pond at Hantusara under the Gop block in Puri. The historical evidence depicts ancient trade carried out by inhabitants of erstwhile Kalinga with foreign countries through waterways, a source said today.

According to an expert, the archaeological artefacts were spotted in the pond located at the backside of History Reader Bhaskar Muduli’s house a few days ago and were later identified to be authentic.

“After thorough scrutiny of the site as well as artefacts, it was ascertained that those excavated objects will help throw light on various hidden aspects of Odisha’s history,” said assistant professor in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archeology department of Utkal University Dr Anam Charan Behera.

“Knobbed ware, earthen snake hood, remains of stone-made bowl, earthen bottle cap, pieces played in chess and draughts board, few broken earthenwares and different types of small bowls were recovered during the excavation. The village is located on the left side of Patharabuha Nullah (creek). Several legends are there linked to the Nullah and construction of Sun Temple in Konark,” Behera stated.

It is pertinent to mention here that a former student of the varsity’s archaeology department named Subhadarshan Mohapatra had recently informed about the findings to his professors. Subsequently, assistant professor Behera scrutinised and confirmed that the Knobbed Ware is a type of vessel with a raised knob at the base. These wares are usually found among the artefacts in several archaeological sites in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is so believed that they are evidence of foreign trade interactions between the two regions that prevailed during the mid-first millennium BCE.

The knobbed wares are found in Java, Borobudur, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand.

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