ARCHAEOLOGY
The Archaeological Survey of India continued its activities in the
various fields like excavations and explorations, preservation of monu-
ments, maintenance of site museums, preservation of antiquities and art
treasures and running of the School of Archaeology.
I. EXPLORATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS
Exploration In the course of exploration in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Haryana, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, a large number of
sites representing various periods extending from Lower Palaeolithic age
to medieval period have been discovered.
Palaeolithic and inicrolithic sites at Lehgambod, Mettupalle, Nayam-
palle in District Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh and extensive neolithic and
megalithic sites in districts Anantpur and Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh and
again an extensive megalithic sites have been found near Halehalli,
Alahalli, Appayyana etc. in District Kolar, Karnataka.
The most outstanding discovery of the year is the find of twelve Pre-
Harappan, Harappan and late Harappan sites in Mansa Taluka of District
Bhatinda, Puniab. These sites are at Chhotte Mansa, Ingwala Theh,
Arniwala, Dalewala II, Hirka I, Karampura, Lallivali-2, Laluwala,
Jharionwala Alikeda Tibba, Tassiluwala. These discoveries have further
attested that the main thrust in the movement of Harappans was through
the Chaggar and penetration of the culture took place from Rajasthan to
Punjab and Haryana. Besides this, three late Harappan sites were dis-
covered in District Dhule, Maharashtra at Pandi, Varde and Methi.
Six sites yielding Kaytha ware, Painted Grey ware and black and red
ware were found in District Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
An extensive site of the Ishka aku period has bow located at Gutti-
konda village, Gurzala Taluk District Guntur.
Amongst the important finds mention may be made of the Buddhist
sculptures of Tarodhaya, Kurrukkula and Avalokiteshvara at Bilahari,
District Jabalpur, M.P.
Excavation During 1981-82 excavations have been carried out at Fatehpur Sikri,
District Agra, Gufkral, District Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, Hampi,
District Bellary, Karnataka, Hulas, District Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh,
Sringverpur, District Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh and Ramapuram, District
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
These excavations have brought to light roads and structures of
various phases of the period of Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri, presence of a well-
defined Aceramic neolithic level at Gufkral: a huge structural complex
with pillard corridor and a building represented by a central hall at
Hampi : a Harappan platform with successive floor levels and a terracotta
sealing bearing three signs of Indus script at Hulas : feeding channel and
a platform and a stair-case on the western side of the tank besides presence
of circular wells at the bottom of the great-tank at Sringverpur; three
phases belonging to the Chalcolithic cultures uncovered at Ramapuram.
Village to village Survey of In continuation of last year's work, the Archaeological Survey of India
Antiquarian Remains and various universities carried out exploration in 24 Districts in different
States.
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II. CONSERVATION The restoration of the missing portions of the moat-wall of Bharatpur Fort in Rajasthan is being taken up on a large scale. In addition to this major project, the Survey continued to maintain, preserve and carry out major structural repairs to centrally protected monuments during the year 1981-82. Important monuments undergoing major structural repairs are :
Akhun Malla Shah mosque, excavated site at Harwan and Sun temple at Martand in Jammu and Kashmir State; Rambagh Gate at Amritsar in Punjab; Lord Jagannatha temple at Puri and Sun Temple at konarak in Orissa; Humayun's tomb, Adilabad fort wall, Balban's tomb, Wazirpur tomb, and, Siri Fort at Delhi; Dwarkadhish temple, Gujarat; Churches and fort at Daman; Ancient mosque at Dhabol' Ellora Caves, and Bibi-ka-Maqbam at Aurangabad and Panhale Kazi Caves in Maharashtra; Sher Shah Suri's Tomb at Sasaram in Bihar; Shiva temple Bhumra, monuments in Mandu and Mahadev temple at Gandai in Madhya Pradesh; Brindabar Chandra Thakur's Math at Guptipara, Firoz Minar at Gour, in. West Bengal, Churasi Gumbad at Kalpi, Taj Mahal, Monuments in fort, Jama Masjid at Agra, and Patthargarh fort at Nazibabad in Uttar Pradesh; Bekal--fort at Pallikere and Mattancherry Palace at Cochin in Kerala State; Sangam- eswara temple at Kudvalli in Andhra Pradesh; Chandramoulesvarer temple at Nattery, Narasimhaswamy temple at Namakal, Venkatarmana temple at Ginjee, Skhanathaswamy temple at Kudumiyamalai at Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu; Triumurthi Narayana temple and Somesvara temple Bandalike, and Keertinayana temple Talkad in Karnataka.
Large scale horticultural operations have been carried out at many of the well known monuments and Mughal pattern garden is being raised at Ram Bagh at Agra.
Extensive chemical preservation work has also been curried out at Ladakh, Tabo, Taj Mahal, Agra; and monuments at Delhi and other places. To combat air pollution in and around Agra, tests of stones and chemicals are being carried out in the science laboratory of the Survey at Agra, on the efficacy of the various preservative coats to be used in the marble, as also studies on the measurement of air quality, are in progress.
III. ANTIQUITIES AND ART TREASURES Under the scheme of the Implementation of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972, the registrafion of antiquities throughout the country continued through various official agencies. Till the end of November, 1981, 13411 applications for registration of antiquities were received and 15594 Certificates were issued. Financial assistance for photography of the antiquities to be registered, to the deserving parties was given to some States. The examination of several art objects, suspected antiquities, arms, weapons and other items presented by various official and non-official agencies was conducted by Expert Committees, officers of the Survey and the Director-General for different purposes.
A large number of objects including several hundred coins and a gold belt studded with gems, were confiscated by the Customs after these were declared as antiquities by the Director-General, Archaeological Survey of India. Subsequently, these were allotted to the Archaeological Museums including other museums.
A new Committee has been constituted for the assessment of paintings and manuscripts to be declared as art treasures. Further, two lots of Nizam's jewellery of Hyderabad have already been examined by the Com- mittee constituted in 1980.
For better implementation of the scheme of registration, a notification has been issued giving the powers to the Coordinators for search and Seiz- ures under Section 23 of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972. Certain rules relating to licencing were amended.
IV. ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS The Museums Branch of Archaeological Survey of India at present looks after twenty-one Museums located at Nalanda, Sarnath, Vaisali,
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Nagarjunakonda, Amravati, Kondapur, Lothal, Purana Quila (Delhi) Konarak, Bodh Gaya, Khajuraho, Sanchi, Hampi, Halebid, Bijapur, Taj at Agra, Red Fort (Delhi), Indian War Memorial Museum (Delhi), Sri rangapatna, Velha Goa and Fort St. George, Madras. With a view to bringing out catalogues for different collections, emphasis has been laid on photo-documentation and on the preparation of catalogue cards of objects lying in various museums.
Three Museums namely Taj Museum, Agra, Lothal and Indian War Memorial Museum are in different stages of completion. The Taj Museum is likely to be thrown open to the visitors shortly. Three galleries of the Indian War Memorial Museum at Red Fort have been fully reorganised. The chair used by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as Head of Provisional Government of Azad Hind and Supreme Commander of Indian National Army was received on July 7, 1981 and is now displayed in the Indian War Memorial Museum.
The Survey has also initiated schemes for opening of new museums at Mattancherry Palace, Cochin (Kerala), Aihole, District Bijapur (Karna- taka), Burzahom, District Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) and Badami, District Bijapur (Karnataka).
V. PUBLICATIONS The Survey has a separate section meant for bringing out archaeologi- cal, architectural and epigraphical publications incorporating the latest researches in these fields. Publications on important archaeological sites, monuments and museums for knowledgeable public, both in English and Hindi, are also, brought out. For the benefit of tourists and visitors, folders, coloured and black and white picture-postcards sets on various important monuments and museums are also published.
During the year, under review, one issue of Indian Archaeology 1978- 79--A Review, Cave Temples of the Deccan in the Architectural Survey of Temples series, Inscriptions of the Early Gupta Kings in the Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Series, Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy for the years 1967-68 and 1970-71, one issue of South Indian Inscriptions, five guide books on monuments, four reprinted volumes of Epigraphica Indica (volumes VI, VII, VIII, and IX) were published.
Among the publications which are in various stages of printing are : Ratnagiri (Part 1) and Karandai Inscriptions of Rajendra Chola in the Memoirs series; second part of the Paramara Inscriptions in the Corpus Inscriptions Indicarum series; Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy for the years 1971-72 and 1972-73; Epigraphica Indica-Arabic and Persian Sup- plement for 1974; reprinting of Epigraphica Indica Volume XI; three guide books on monuments and museums; and sets of coloured and black and white picture postcards.
In the financial year 1982-83, the printing of Indian Archaeology (2 issues), Ancient India (2 issues), Lothal, Volume 11, Ratnagiri (Part II), Images of Nepal Epigraphica Indica (2 issues) Epigraphica Indica-Arabic and Persian Supplement (2 issues), Annual Report of Indian Epigraphy, (two issues), South Indian Inscriptions (one issue) six guide-books, six sets of black and white picture postcards, forty coloured cards and re- printing, of two issues of Epigraphica Indica will be taken up.
VI. SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY The School of Archaeology (under the Archaeological Survey of India) functioning under a Director is offering a professional one-year Diploma Course in Archaeology, of which the current year will be the 23rd session since the inception of the School in 1959. This has been attracting offi- cially-sponsored trainees as well as students from both within the country and from the friendly neighbouring countries either under Colombo Plan or other arrangements, for which a seat is provided, subject to demand every year. During the last three years an officer trainee from Nepal joined the School of Archaeology. Last year a trainee from Bangladesh joined the School for short-term training in conservation and excavation.
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In addition to this, special refresher as well as short term intensive
course in conservation of ancient monuments (theory and practical) has
also been one of the periodical features of the Survey and in recent years,
the organisation of these courses has devolved upon. the School of Archaeo-
logy. Special courses conducted include-one in 1977 at Mandu (Madhya
Pradesh) and another in 1978 at Gingee (Tamil Nadu). In this year
one of the official trainees invitee was from Sikkim. During current year
the School of Archaeology has conducted an intensive conservation course
at Bhubaneswar.
During this year three Kampuchean archaeologists were also trained
in Archaeological Photography, Chemical Preservation and Conservation
training.
Between October 15, and December 15, 1981 the Deputy Superin-
tending Archaeologists (on probation) were also given special Depart-
mental training in the School of Archaeology on various research, adminis-
tration and field techniques.
Scheme for Financial Assistance to The scheme for financial assistance for preservation of monuments less
institutions/bodies for Preservation than 100 years old has been circulated among different State and Union
of monuments, sites or remains of Territory Governments for wide publicity and for inviting applications
Historical and Cultural value not from voluntary organisations. The State/Union Territory Governments
protected by the Archaelogical have been requested to consolidate and forward proposals from all organi-
Survey of India or State Depart- sations for consideration for rendering financial assistance to them.
ments of Archaeology.
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