Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 4:The faculty and students of the PG department of ancient Indian history , culture and archaeology at Utkal University claim they have found an ancient port at Keshpur village of Khallikote block in Ganjam District situated on the coast of the Chilika lake. According to Anam Behera, an assistant professor of history, one student, Nilamani Behera, had informed the department of his findings after which a university team visited the site Sunday to verify the claims. “The site,” Behera said, “is so close to the lake that even the waves touch the mound. “This mound extends in an eastwest direction. During the surface exploration, some antiquities were found scattered there. The findings include an earthen bead, net sinker, bangle, glass, terracotta toy, spout channel, terracotta ring wall, huge iron slag and two pieces of Chinese pottery. Near the site in the island named Gopakuda evidence of a lighthouse has been found which is locally known as ‘Hawa Mahala’, but the structure indicates it was a lighthouse built by the British possibly in the 17th century,” he added. “I am not sure whether these
findings had been reported earlier, but I feel that the lighthouse could be a strong piece of evidence which might have been built by the British or French. The site could have been used as a port,” Behera informed. There are two such sites in Orissa, one at Kalkatappatana near Konark and the other at Manikapatana near Dahikhia in Puri. The new findings may therefore shed light on a new chapter in Orissa’s maritime history, he claimed.