Prayagraj: Team of archaeologists from ISDC finds 4 dozen archaeological sites besides Ganga

PRAYAGRAJ: The team of the expert archaeologists from department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, Iswar Saran PG College, the constituent college of Allahabad University has conducted an archaeological village to village survey on foot in the vicinity of the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers of Prayagraj, from Jhunsi to Sringverpur and from Daraganj to Kali Paltan in Kaushambi district on both side of the river Ganga on a wide scale and have found more than four dozen archaeological sites.
This important archaeological survey stretched for 70 kms on the ground surface and 3 to 5 km (in width) on both sides of the river. The exploration was conducted under the direction of principal of the college and head of the department and project director, Prof Anand Shankar Singh along with the project deputy director and assistant professor Jamil Ahmad and his team. Perhaps, for the first time, an archaeological survey was taken up in this area on such a large scale.
“The survey was conducted in more than 80 villages on both the shores of the river Ganga which fall under the Phoolpur, Sadar and Soraon Tehsils of District Prayagraj and the Chail Tehsil of district Kaushambi. 50 sites of archaeological importance have been marked and documented, from where, a large number of archaeological remains from Chalcolithic period (around 3000 to 2000 BC when copper was the dominant metal) to the Mughal period and later, have been found”, said Prof Anand Shankar Singh.
These remains consist of various types of potteries, terracotta and semi-precious stones, microlith (1cm to 8cm long stone tools), beads and tools of stone and iron and materials made of bone and ivory are important, he added.
On either side of the river Ganga, except for Shringverpur and Hetapatti, the area has not yet been extensively excavated. The antiquity of human habitat in the surveyed area cannot be denied to be more than four thousand years old, if it is excavated scientifically.
Detailed report of the survey has recently been sent to Indian Archaeological Survey, New Delhi. The college is working on sending a proposal for excavation of selected archaeological sites near Kaurihar to Indian Archaeological Survey, New Delhi. These antiquities obtained from the Gangetic area have been kept for study by the researchers in the newly built Archaeological Centre of the College, informed Jamil Ahmad.
He further added that a detailed report of this survey, conducted in a traditional and scientific way, has been sent to the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi for publication in their Annual Journal, Indian Archaeology – A Review.
He further pointed out that man's existence in this area begins from Pre-historic times and therefore, this area is very rich and is of great importance in terms of archaeological and cultural development. The vast majority of cultural materials excavated from this region clearly indicate the continuous and rich habitats of this region from the distant past. The availability of antiquarian and artistic antiquities comes from almost all the antiquarian sites and provides valuable and useful information about the artistic tastes and everyday use of life and cultural stock of the people here.
It is noteworthy that the ASI, New Delhi, has licensed Iswar Saran P.G. College for archaeological survey in this area. Former HoD, Prof Umesh Chandra Chattopadhyaya and Dr. Manik Chandra Gupta from the Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, University of Allahabad have given invaluable contribution in this archaeological survey.