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Bhubaneswar, Sept 16: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed excavation at Asuragada in Kalahandi in its proposal for 2017 submitted to the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA). According to sources, the proposal submitted in August also includes recommendation to explore archaeological prospects in Mayurbhanj. The history and archaeology department of Utkal University will undertake the exploration in Mayurbhanj.
ASI officials said Asuragada was an important settlement in the area, and holds promise of important findings. Jeeban Patnaik, a senior archaeologist, excavation, with ASI, said: “This site resembles Sisupalgarh in Khurda. We are awaiting permission from CABA.” He added that the site could reveal links between western and coastal Orissa.
KK Basa, a professor with Utkal University, who is to head exploration in Mayurbhanj believes the district could hold several sites of archaeological importance. “There are many prehistoric sites in the district that need to be identified. Our exploration is aimed at highlighting and emphasising the prehistoric culture of Mayurbhanj,” he said.
Further, the autonomous government college in Bhawanipatna has proposed to carry forward excavation at Budhigara under Ranpur block in Kalahandi district. This would be their third and last excavation at the site near Rahul river.
“During the last two excavations, we had discovered several antiquities, pottery, and bricks of various sizes. We found the last layer to be of 1800 BC by carbon dating,” Dr Baba Mishra, a leading excavator at the site said.Last year we received `1 lakh for excavation work, but this year we are expecting `2.5 lakh which would help us collect more details,” Mishra said. He added that he was continuing with the excavations despite a financial crunch.
The history department of Ravenshaw University will also conduct its third phase of excavation at Talagarh in Cuttack, which is a site of the Chalcolithic age and the archaeologists have discovered skeletons and other artefacts from the site.
“In our third excavation work we will focus on larger structural areas of the circular houses and their style and construction pattern,” Umakanta Mishra, who is heading excavation at the venue along with Dr Subrat Archarya, said. Several other sites have also been included in the proposal.