EDITORIAL
Traces of a nearly period civilisation have resurfaced in the bed of the Kuakhai River near Cuttack City with the discovery of several archaeological remains by a team led by Co-Convener of Intach’s Cuttack Chapter Deepak Kumar Nayak.
The remnants of an old settlement that once flourished near the Balimangala Devi Pitha, near Uttampur Village of Cuttack’s Sadar block have resurfaced recently in a large area spread over the sand dunes about 200 metres from the present embankment.
The INTACH team found a large number of fragmented pieces of red ware, black ware, grey ware, rings of mud well and bone pieces from a small mound like structure inside the river. Pieces of sculpted images that were unidentifiable were also discovered.
According to Nayak, the site has a lot of historical significance as it is situated midway between the Barabati Fort and Chudanagada Fort in Barang. Similar pottery and ware have also been found in the ongoing excavation work being carried on inside the Barabati Fort by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The type of potteries foundare very much identical to those found in the excavated sites at places like Khalakatapatana, Manikapatana and Sisupalagada establishingthat therehas been significant maritime trade in the waterway of the Kuakhai River in early centuries.
According to Anil Dhir, convener of Intach’s Bhubaneswar Chapter, the findings suggested that there was either a riverside port or a large settlement in the place which had been abandoned due to frequent flooding.
A small-scale archaeological excavation in the riverbed is required to determine relevant history associated with these finds, he said, adding thatthe INTACH will soon write totheASI and the State Archaeology Department to make a survey of thearea.
Biswajit Mohanty of INTACH is of the opinion that the remnants have resurfaced due to erosion of the river beddue to rampant sand mining. The Mahanadi and its delta system have rich archaeological remnants spread on its river bed and banks, he claimed.
During INTACH’s recent comprehensive survey of the Mahanadi Valley, many new sites and heritage structures have been reported and documented.T he report also had details of 63 submerged ancient temples in the Mahanadi which are being destroyed and vandalised by illegal sand mining, Mohanty said.
