New Culture unearthed in the Brahmaputra valley

[Guest guest]

2450-year old relics unearthed

 

Discovery part of ancient Brahmaputra civilisation

 

By Shamim Ashraf

Daily Star News

8 January 2002

 

 

Archaeologists have discovered 2450-year old artefacts -- the most

ancient so far found in the country -- while conducting an excavation

at a village in Narsingdi.

This may lead to discovery of a part of ancient Brahmaputra

civilisation, according to the archaeologists.

A four-member Bangladeshi team led by former Director of Dhaka Museum

Dr. Enamul Haque conducted the 51-day excavation at Wari-Bateshwar

village in Belabo. The excavation began on February 4 last year.

 

 

The artefacts found are more ancient than those of Pundrabardhan,

(Mohastangarh in Bogra) so far taken as the earliest historical

establishment.

 

 

Radio-Carbon date of the charcoal samples tested by Netherlands'

Centrum voor Isotopen Onderzoek' confirmed that there were habitation

and industry in the area in 450 BC (2400± 40 B P), the archaeologists

said while talking to The Daily Star yesterday. The discoveries at

Pundrabardhan date back to 370 BC.

 

Prof Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti, noted Indian archaeologist and teacher

at Cambridge University, also supports that the artefacts are 2450

years old. In a letter to the team he said the Radio-Carbon date of

the charcoal discovered at Wari-Bateshwar has revolutionised the

early historic archaeology of eastern India as a whole, they said.

 

 

There was a trade centre at the village in early historic period

dating before Pundrabardhan (Bogra), which possibly had contact with

contemporary South Asian and Roman civilisations.

 

The excavation revealed that Buddhism was practised there at that

time and the area was the east ern limit of Mauryan Empire.

 

Dr SSM Mustafizur Rahman of Archaeology Department of Jahangirnagar

University was the deputy team leader. Dr Syed Md. Kamrul Ahsan of

the same department and Abul Bahser, Field Officer of the

government's Department of Archaeology were the two other members.

 

 

The excavation was funded by International Centre for Study of Bengal

Art (ICSBA).

 

 

After the findings were disclosed at a seminar at Jahangirnagar

University on December 30, Dr SSM Mustafizur Rahman and two other

members of the team revealed many aspects of the excavation while

talking to this correspondent.

 

 

"We found a vast settlement of early historic period, based on an

industrial area and trade centre at Wari-Bateshwar village in

Narshingdi. This will open a new era of rewriting our past history",

Dr. Mustafizur rahman said.

 

 

Northern Black Polished Ware (NBRW) and Rouletted Ware (RW) are

chronology of marker belonging to early historic period, he said.

Chips, flakes and cores of semi-precious stone-beads indicate

existence of manufacturing centre. Few pieces of raw materials like

jasper and quartz support existence of production centre. The stone-

beads testify the marvellous artistic skill of the ancient people of

Wari-Batshwar, he said.

 

 

Hand-axes, spearheads, knives and smelted tiny parts of iron confirm

the idea of furnace as well as of smelting centre there.

 

"We may assume, from the discovery of RW and Knobbed Ware (KW), that

Wari-Bateshwar had contact with South Asian and Roman civilisations

then".

 

Besides, NBPWs support the assumption that Wari-Bateshwar was the

eastern limit of the Mauryan Empire.

 

Discovery of KW proves that Buddhism was practised in the area during

the period.

 

"As no evidence of burnt brick was discovered in any other place,

we think burnt bricks were limited to the Wari-Bateshwar region at

that time", he added.

 

Though experienced archaeologists in their write-ups earlier

mentioned the area as a spot of punch-marked silver coins and semi-

precious stone-beads, no government showed interest in carrying out

any scientific excavation there and even the Department of

Archaeology did not enlist it.

 

ICSBA at its meeting on October 4, 1999, decided to conduct a small-

scale excavation there and Ministry of Culture gave it permission on

February 1, 2000.

 

 

"We had to stop the excavation for want of funds. We are now looking

for funds to resume the excavation", Prof Kamrul Ahsan said. "We have

discovered most of the artifacts in a 5/3 metre trench and there is a

vast area left".

 

 

Archaeologists of Bangladesh are capable of doing any kind of large-

scale excavation successfully if funds are provided, he said.

 

 

Dr Enamul Haq, had been hammering on excavation at this site since

1974, he said. Bulbul Ahmed, a student of archaeology, conducted a

research there in 2000.

 

Dr Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti had written the first professional write-

up on this archaeological site in 1992 after visiting the area along

with Prof. Abu Imam, Prof. Syed Kamrul Ahsan and Prof. Mozammel Haq.