BHUBANESWAR: The excavation work at the archaeological site Asurgarh Fort in Kalahandi district, Odisha, under the direction of Dibishada B. Garnayak, superintending archaeologist, has attracted the interest of many historians and researchers.
Interacting with Orissa POST, Gadanayak said, “The ancient rectangular fort in plan at Asurgarh covers an area about 60 acres of land made of mud and stone pebbles. The fort is surrounded by moat on its northern, eastern and southern sides. Close to the western rampart, the river Sandul flows to the north thereby forming a natural moat on the western side of the fort.”
“On the eastern side of the fort there is an extensive lake know as Udaya sagar. The fort has four wide gates in four directions having guardian deities named as Ganga at the eastern gate, Kalapat at the western, Vaishnavi at the northern and Dokri at the southern gate. It’s a great finding,” he added.
The excavation yielded massive brick structures, stone paved roads, and rich material culture of that time. During that time, Asurgarh people used stone rubbles, brickbats and tile fragments for flooring their houses and streets.
Silver punch marked coins, silver and copper toe ring and ear rings, large number of pottery hopscotches, beads of carnelian, jasper, beryl, garnet, agate and coral; glass bangle pieces of different designs and colours, sling balls, pestle, iron equipments like cogwheel, ring, sickle, knife, harpoon and arrow head were found during excavations.
The material culture in the form beads and bangle in different shapes and colour shows the artistic talent of the natives of that time. The findings of Coral beads and Imperial variety of silver punch mark coins strongly indicates about long distant trade and association of hinterland people with seafaring people.
According to Historian Jitu Mishra, “The other significant discoveries of the site were terracotta sealings bearing plough, trident marks, few pottery having swastika symbols and a terracotta ring.” The present season excavation shows that the site was inhabited by people since early Iron Age and continued up to 2nd century CE.
