Copper coins among ancient materials found in Odisha’s Baragarha

Sambalpur (Odisha): Copper coins, seals and terracotta figurines were among the ancient materials found during an excavation in Barapali area of Bargarh district, an academician who led the project said on Sunday.
Fragmented seals, fragmented terracotta figurines, black slipped ware (BSW), red slipped ware (RSW), buff red ware pottery were also unearthed during the excavation.
The excavation was conducted by the School of History of Gangadhar Meher University (GMU), Sambalpur in Asurgarh under the direction of Dr. Atul Kumar Pradhan, Head of the Department of History.
As many as 60 students of PG, M. Phil and Ph. D are participating in the excavation.
“A large number of knobbed ware pottery found from the excavation site showcase the unique feature of early urbanization and sign of trade and commerce,” said Dr. Pradhan.
The digging also yielded an iron smelting hearth and other important antiquities like saddle querns, arrow-heads, fragmented crucibles, microlithic, polished stones and beads of semi-precious stones, he said.
The structures and habitation remains are still visible in the sections of the mound. Other important antiquities found at the site included hopscotch, beads, and fragmented part of terracotta ring wells. The retrieved antiquities and other archeological remains clearly show that the date of this site is very early.
The site where the excavation is on is located in the Barapali area of Bargarh district located about three km west from Barpali and is extended over 17 hectares of land.
It is encircled by two moats and two forts. The circular plan of the site is one more unique feature of its double fortification. This fortified site has three gateways in the outer fortification wall, Dr. Pradhan said. UNI XC BD DP SSP