Excavators find ancient urban settlement in south Kashmir

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Excavators find ancient urban settlement in south Kashmir

SRINAGAR, JUNE 19 (PTI)

 

Excavators have stumbled into the remains of a bustling ancient urban

settlement in Anantnag district of south Kashmir with tiled pavements

"stamped in colourful human and animal motifs" and incriptions in the

now defunct Karoshti script.

 

"The remains of the civilisation fanning over several hectares of

land

was discovered during an exploration of the area by a team of the J&K

Archaeology Department," Archives Archaeology and Museum deputy

director Mohammad Shafi Zahid said.

 

He said archaeology assistants Ehsan-ul-Haq, Ghulam Rasool Teli and

Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat were excavating the area when they came across

"surface evidence of the civilisation".

 

A 30 x 10 ft area was first given a "trial dig" and the top layer of

an "ancient settlement" was exposed after five feet.

 

It consisted of a tiled pavement in concentric circles with a

"full-blown lotus" at the centre. "The pavement was laid out in such

a

wonderful sequence that it left the excavators baffled," Zahid told

PTI.

 

He said it's tiles were "stamped in a variety of colourful motifs of

humans, animals, mystical creatures, flowers and other abstract

designs... Most of the tiles are inscribed in the Karoshthi script"

prevalent in civilisations of north- western India circa AD 3rd-4th

century. "The features speak of some highly advanced urban

civilisation which looks to have flourished on this plateau in the

ancient period," Zahid said and claimed the human-animal motifs on

the

few exposed tiles were the first to be noticed at any archaeological

site.

 

The excavation was at the initial stage and more teams were being

deputed. The first layer was also being examined by experts.

 

Zahid added that the government had already been informed about the

"unique find".

 

http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=305359

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