The Official Ayodhya Report

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Summary of the Report submitted by the ASI on Ayodhya excavations

 

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

 

 

 

Excavation at the disputed site of Rama Janmabhumi – Babri Masjid was

carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India from 12 March 2003

to 7 August 2003. During this period, as per the directions of the

Hon'ble High Court, Lucnow. 82 tenches were excavated to verify the

anomalics mentioned in the report of the Ground Penetrating Radar

Survey which was conducted at the site prior to taking up the

excavations. A total number of 82 trenches along with some of their

baulks were checked for anomalies and anomaly alignments. The

anomalies were confirmed in the trenches in the form of pillar bases,

structures, floors and foundation though no such remains were noticed

in some of them at the stipulated depths and spots. Besides the 82

trenches a few more making a total of 90 finally were also excavated

keeping in view the objective fixed by the Hon'ble High Court to

confirm the structure.

 

The results of the excavation are summarized as hereunder.

 

The Northern Block Polished Ware (NBPW) using people were the first

to occupy the disputed site at Ayodhya. During the first millennium

B.C. although no stuructural activities were encountered in the

limited area probed, the material culture is represented by

terracotta figurines of female deities showing archaic features,

beads of terracotta and glass, wheels and fragments of votive tanks

etc. The ceramic industry has the collection of NBPW the main

diagnostic trait of the period besides the grey, black slipped and

red wares. A round signet with legend in Asokan Brahmi is another

important find of the level. On the basis of material equipment and

14 C dates, this period may be assigned to circa 1003 B.C. to 300 B.C.

 

The Sunga horizen (second-first century B.C.) comes next in the order

of the cultural occupation at the site. The typical terracotta mother

goddess human and animal figurines, beads hairpin, engraver etc.

represent the cultural matrix of this level. The pottery collection

includes black slipped, red and grey wares etc. The stone and brick

structure found from this level mark the beginning of the structural

activity at the site.

 

The Kushan period (first to third century A.D.) followed the Sunga

occupation. Terracotta human and animal figurines, fragments of

votive tanks, beads antimony rod, hair pin, bangle fragments and

ceramic industry comprising red ware represent the typical Kushan

occupation at the site. Another important feature of this period is

the creation of large sized structures as witnessed by the massive

structure running into twenty-two courses.

 

The advent of Guptas (fourth to sixth century A.D.) did not bring any

qualitative change in building activity although the period is known

for its Classical artistic elements. However, this aspect is

represented by the typical terracotta figurines and a copper coin

with the legend Sri Chandra (Gupta) and illustrative potsherds.

 

During the Post-Gupta-Rajput period (seventh to tenth century A.D.),

too the site has witnessed structural activity mainly constructed of

burnt bricks. However, among the exposed structures, there stands a

circular brick shrine which speaks of its functional utility for the

first time. To recapitulate quickly, exteriorly on plan. It is

circular whereas internally squarish with an entrance from the east.

Though the structure is damaged the northern wall still retains a

provision for pranala, i.e. waterchute which is a distinct feature of

contemporary temples already known from the Ganga-Yamuma plain.

 

Subsequently, during the early medieval period (eleventh – twelfth

century A.D.) a huge structure, nearly 50 m. in north-south

orientation was constructed which seems to have been short lived as

only four of the fifty pillar bases exposed during the excavation

belong to this level with a brick crush floor. On the remains of the

above structure was constructed, a massive structure with at least

three structural phases and three successive Peers attached with it.

The architectural members of the earlier short lived massive

structure with stencil cut foliage pattern and other decorative

motifs were reused in the construction of the monumental structure

having a huge pillared hall (or two halls) which is different from

residential structures, providing sufficient evidence of a

construction of public usage which remained under existence for a

long time during the period VII (Medieval-Sultanate level – twelfth

to sixteenth century A.D.) It was over the top of this construction

during the early sixteenth century, the disputed structure was

constructed directly resting over it. There is sufficient proof of

existence of a massive and monumental structure having a minimum

dimension of 50x30 m. in north-south and east-west directions

respectively for below the disputed structure. In course of present

excavations nearly 50 pillar bases with brickbat foundation, below

calcrete blocks topped by sandstone blocks were found. The pillar

bases exposed during the present excavation in northern and southern

areas also give an idea of the length of the massive wall of the

earlier construction with which they are associated and which might

have been originally around 60 m (of which the 50 m length is

available at present). The center of the central chamber of the

disputed structure falls just over the central point of the length of

the massive wall of the preceding period which could not be excavated

due to presence of Ram Lala at the spot in the make-shift structure.

This area is roughly 15x15 m on the raised platform. Towards east of

this central point a circular depression with projection on the west

cut into the large sized brick pavement, signify the place where some

important object was placed. Terracotta lamps from the various

trenches and found in a group in the levels of Periods VII in trench

G2 are associated with the structural phase.

 

In the last phase of the period VII glazed ware sherds make their

appearance and continue in the succeeding levels of the next periods

where they are accompanied by glazed this which were probably used in

the original construction of the disputed structure. Similarly is the

case of celadon and porcelain sherds recovered in a very less

quantity they come from the secondary context. Animal bones have been

recovered from various levels of different periods, but skeletal

remains noticed at the trenches in northern and southern areas belong

to the Period IX as the grave pits have been found out into the

deposition coeval with the late disputed structures and are sealed by

the top deposit.

 

It is worthwhile to observe that the various structures exposed right

from the Sunga to Gupta period do not speak either about their nature

or functional utility as no evidence has come to approbate them.

Another noteworthy feature is that it was only during and after

Period IV Gupta level) onwards upto Period IX (late and post Mughal

level) that the regular habitational deposits disappear in the

concerned levels and the structural phases are associated with either

structural debris or filling material taken out from the adjoining

area to level the ground for construction purpose. As a result of

which much of the earlier material in the form of pottery,

terracottas and other objects of preceding periods, particularly of

Period I (NBPW level) and Period III (Kushan level) are found in the

deposits of later periods mixed along with their contemporary

material. The area below the disputed site thus, remained a place for

public use for a long time till the Period VIII (Mughal level) when

the disputed structure was built which was confined to a limited area

and population settled around it as evidenced by the increase in

contemporary archaeological material including pottery. The same is

further attested by the conspicuous absence of habitational

structures such as house-complexes, soakage pits, soakage jars, ring

wells, drains, wells, hearths, kilns or furnaces etc. from Period IV

(Gupta level) onwards and in particular from Period VI (Early

Medieval Rajput level) and Period VII (Medieval-Sultanate level).

 

The site has also proved to be significant for taking back its

antiquarian remains for the first time to the middle of the

thirteenth century B.C. (1250±130 B.C.) on the analogy of the C14

dates. The lowest deposit above the natural soil represents the NBPW

period and therefore the earliest remains may belong to the

thirteenth century B.C. which is confirmed by two more consistant C14

dates from the NBPW (Period I), viz. 910±100 B.C. and 880±100 B.C.)

These dates are from trench G7. Four more dates from the upper

deposit though showing presence of NBPW and associated pottery are

determined by Radio-Carbon dating as 780±80 B.C., 710±90 B.C., 530±70

B.C. and 320±80 B.C. In the light of the above dates in association

with the Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) which is generally

accepted to be between circa 600 B.C. to 300 B.C. it can be pushed

back to circa 1000 B.C. and even if a solitary date, three centuries

earlier is not associated with NBPW, the human activity at the site

dates back to circa thirteenth century B.C. on the basis of the

scientific dating method providing the only archaeological evidence

of such an early date of the occupation of the site.

 

The Hon'ble High Court in order to get sufficient archaeological

evidence on the issue involved whether there was any temple/structure

which was demolished and mosque was constructed on the disputed site

as stated on page 1 and further on p. 5 of their order dated 5 march

2003 and given directions to the Archaeological Survey of India to

excavate at the disputed site where GPR Survey has suggested evidence

of anomalies which could be structure, pillars, foundation walls,

slab flooring etc. which could be confirmed by excavation. Now

viewing in totality and taking into account the archaeological

evidence of a massive structure jut below the disputed structure and

evidence of continuity in structural phases from the tenth century

onwards upto the construction of the disputed structure alongwith the

yield of stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of

divine coupe and carved architectural members including foliage

patterns, amalaka, kapolapali doorjamb with semi-circular pilaster,

broken octagonal shaft of black schist pillar, lotus motif, circular

shrine having pranala (waterchute) in the north, fifty pillar bases

association of the huge structure, are indicative of remains which

are distinctive features found associated with the temples of north

India.