The Archaeological Survey of India’s excavation in Odisha’s Asurgarh has unearthed items from the Mauryan to Kushan period, The Hindu reported.
At the site near the fort, archeologists found coins, jewellery, brick structures with terracotta tiles and iron equipment like arrow heads, small wheel and harpoon.
“From the findings of the excavation it can be concluded that that the habitation was an urban settlement belonging to Mauryan to Kushan period, which was about 2300 years back. The imperial coins with punch marks were issued during the Mauryan and Magadhan period,” said Dibishada Brajasundar Garnayak, superintending archaeologist of ASI’s excavation branch, told Times of India.
“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,” Garnayak told The Hindu.
The excavation began in November 2018 and will go on till April this year.
“To ascertain the exact age of these remnants ASI will conduct both charcoal and ceramic dating at the Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi. These things were found within one metre from the surface while we are planning to dig up to three metres down. We are expecting to get links beyond the Mauryan period.” Garnayak said.