Burnt bricks of early Gupta period discovered in Sambalpur

However, a detailed archaeological excavation from multidisciplinary perspective will reveal much more about the city’s history.
Bricks of Gupta period found in Sambalpur | Express
Bricks of Gupta period found in Sambalpur | Express

SAMBALPUR: A team of scholars from the History department of Sambalpur University has found wall structures made up of burnt bricks belonging to the early Gupta period. The finding came up during a recent investigation conducted in the area between Badbazaar and Durgapali localities of the city. The team comprised curator of NK Sahu Museum Kshirasindhu Barik, Khageswar Bhoi of the PG Department of History and Professor PK Behera. 

The Gupta era bricks were first discovered by a team of INTACH consisting of Deepak Panda, Kulamani Patel and Dr BPK Mishra. Subsequently, the team from History department visited the localities on August 15. On the basis of comparative study of brick sizes from several other sites of Western Odisha, particularly from around Huma temple and Sindhol village, the team confirmed that the slabs used in the wall structures belonged to the Gupta period. 

It also ascertained that the bricks matched with the ones found at the structural remains on the hillock in Sindhol, located around 45 km south of Sambalpur. The bricks are from the period between 6th and 7th century AD. It was found that people of nearby settlements in the localities of Sambalpur regularly quarried these bricks to use for construction purposes.  

Historians opined that the area between Sambalpur and Angul’s Athmallik has existence of several fortified and non-fortified settlements belonging to Mauryan period. Prof Behera said during earlier excavations conducted by the History department at Badmal Asurgarh fortified site in Jujomura block, remains of Mauryan period structures were found on the left bank of Harihar stream, a tributary of Mahanadi river. Badmal is only around 30 km from Sambalpur.  

Prof Behera further said it appears that the antiquity of the present day Sambalpur city goes back to the Gupta period or even earlier. However, a detailed archaeological excavation from multidisciplinary perspective will reveal much more about the city’s history.

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