12-26-2004, 10:09 AM
Archaeology Existence of any prehistoric phase in the deltaic land of Bangladesh was not suspected by archaeologists for a long time, although some stray finds of stone tools from different areas were known. It is only very recently that widely spread traces of a fossil-wood tool making tradition have been detected. Of the Hindu-Buddhist archaeological sites in Bangladesh, the most important are PAHARPUR (Pahadpur) in Naogaon, MAHASTHAN (Mahasthan) in Bogra, and MAINAMATI (Mainamati) in Comilla.
Mahasthan or Mahasthangarh represents the earliest and the largest archaeological site in Bangladesh, consists of the ruins of the ancient city of PUNDRANAGARA. The site is 13 km north of Bogra town on the Dhaka-Dinajpur highway. The ruins form an oblong plateau measuring 1500m N-S and 1400m E-W and are enclosed on their four sides by rampart walls that rise to an average height of 6m from river level. The highest point within the enclosure at the southeast corner is occupied by the mazar (tomb) of SHAH SULTAN MAHISAWAR and by a mosque of the Mughal Emperor FARRUKH SIYAR. The latter has been enclosed by a modern mosque, which has been extended recently, a development that precludes the scope of excavation here in future. The northern, western and southern sides of the fortified city were encircled by a deep moat, traces of which are visible in the former two sides and partly in the latter side. The river Karatoya (Karatoya) flows on the eastern side. The moat and the river might have served as a second line of defence of the fort city. Many isolated mounds occur at various places outside the city within a radius of 8 km on the north, south and west, testifying to the existence of suburbs of the ancient provincial capital.
Bairagir Bhita, Khodar Pathar Bhita, Mankalir Kunda Mound, Parasuram\'s Palace Mound and Jiat Kunda are some sites inside the city which have yielded archaeological objects of interest. In addition to these sites, excavations in 1988-91 have revealed three gateways of the city, a considerable portion of the northern and eastern rampart, and a temple complex near the mazar area.
Out of the three gateways, two are in the northern rampart; one is 5m wide and 5.8m long and is located 442m eastward from the northwest corner of the fort, and the other, situated 6.5m eastward, is 1.6m wide. The gateways were in use in two phases related to the early and later Pala periods. The only gateway in the eastern rampart, located almost in its middle and 100m east of Parasuram\'s Palace, is about 5m wide and is thought to have been built in the late Pala period over the remains of an earlier gateway, which has not yet been fully exposed. All the gateway complexes are provided with guardrooms in the inner side, and bastions projecting outside the rampart walls.
The temple complex exposed in the mazar area does not reveal a coherent plan. It appears to have been built and rebuilt in five phases, one superimposed over the other, covering the Pala period. The antiquities recovered from the site include a few large size terracotta plaques, toys, balls, ornamental bricks, and earthenwares.
The rampart of the city, built with burnt bricks, belongs to six building periods. The earliest one belonged to the Maurya period, whereas the subsequent ones correspond to Shunga-Kusana, Gupta, early Pala, late Pala, and Sultanate periods. These walls were successively built one above the other. Thus we get a succession of rampart walls as we see the succession of cultural remains inside the city. However, the correlation between the cultural remains of the city of the earliest level and the earliest rampart wall (mud wall?) remains to be established.
Govinda Bhita, LAKSINDARER MEDH, Bhasu Vihar, Vihar Dhap, Mangalkot and Godaibadi Dhap are excavated sites located outside the city but within its vicinity. Many more mounds lie scattered in adjacent villages, which are believed to contain cultural remains of the suburbs of the ancient fortified city of Pundranagar.
Bibliography A Preliminary Report of The Recent Archaeological Excavations at Mahasthangarh, Dacca, 1975; France-Bangladesh Joint Venture Excavations at Mahasthangarh First Interim Report 1993-1999, Dhaka, 2001 by Md Shafiqul Alam & Jean-Francois Salle (ed).
Mahasthan or Mahasthangarh represents the earliest and the largest archaeological site in Bangladesh, consists of the ruins of the ancient city of PUNDRANAGARA. The site is 13 km north of Bogra town on the Dhaka-Dinajpur highway. The ruins form an oblong plateau measuring 1500m N-S and 1400m E-W and are enclosed on their four sides by rampart walls that rise to an average height of 6m from river level. The highest point within the enclosure at the southeast corner is occupied by the mazar (tomb) of SHAH SULTAN MAHISAWAR and by a mosque of the Mughal Emperor FARRUKH SIYAR. The latter has been enclosed by a modern mosque, which has been extended recently, a development that precludes the scope of excavation here in future. The northern, western and southern sides of the fortified city were encircled by a deep moat, traces of which are visible in the former two sides and partly in the latter side. The river Karatoya (Karatoya) flows on the eastern side. The moat and the river might have served as a second line of defence of the fort city. Many isolated mounds occur at various places outside the city within a radius of 8 km on the north, south and west, testifying to the existence of suburbs of the ancient provincial capital.
Bairagir Bhita, Khodar Pathar Bhita, Mankalir Kunda Mound, Parasuram\'s Palace Mound and Jiat Kunda are some sites inside the city which have yielded archaeological objects of interest. In addition to these sites, excavations in 1988-91 have revealed three gateways of the city, a considerable portion of the northern and eastern rampart, and a temple complex near the mazar area.
Out of the three gateways, two are in the northern rampart; one is 5m wide and 5.8m long and is located 442m eastward from the northwest corner of the fort, and the other, situated 6.5m eastward, is 1.6m wide. The gateways were in use in two phases related to the early and later Pala periods. The only gateway in the eastern rampart, located almost in its middle and 100m east of Parasuram\'s Palace, is about 5m wide and is thought to have been built in the late Pala period over the remains of an earlier gateway, which has not yet been fully exposed. All the gateway complexes are provided with guardrooms in the inner side, and bastions projecting outside the rampart walls.
The temple complex exposed in the mazar area does not reveal a coherent plan. It appears to have been built and rebuilt in five phases, one superimposed over the other, covering the Pala period. The antiquities recovered from the site include a few large size terracotta plaques, toys, balls, ornamental bricks, and earthenwares.
The rampart of the city, built with burnt bricks, belongs to six building periods. The earliest one belonged to the Maurya period, whereas the subsequent ones correspond to Shunga-Kusana, Gupta, early Pala, late Pala, and Sultanate periods. These walls were successively built one above the other. Thus we get a succession of rampart walls as we see the succession of cultural remains inside the city. However, the correlation between the cultural remains of the city of the earliest level and the earliest rampart wall (mud wall?) remains to be established.
Govinda Bhita, LAKSINDARER MEDH, Bhasu Vihar, Vihar Dhap, Mangalkot and Godaibadi Dhap are excavated sites located outside the city but within its vicinity. Many more mounds lie scattered in adjacent villages, which are believed to contain cultural remains of the suburbs of the ancient fortified city of Pundranagar.
Bibliography A Preliminary Report of The Recent Archaeological Excavations at Mahasthangarh, Dacca, 1975; France-Bangladesh Joint Venture Excavations at Mahasthangarh First Interim Report 1993-1999, Dhaka, 2001 by Md Shafiqul Alam & Jean-Francois Salle (ed).
