<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><span style='color:red'>2000-yr-old Shiva shrine found</span>
LUCKNOW: Believed to be among the oldest brick shrines in India, Lucknow Universityâs department of ancient Indian history and archaeology has unearthed a 2,000-year-old Shiva temple as part of its excavation project recently in Uttar Pradeshâs Unnao district.
ââItâs actually a complex comprising five temples,ââ Prof D P Tewari of the Lucknow University said. ââWhile four temples belong to the Kushana period (1st-3rd century AD or 2,000 years ago), it appears that the primary temple was constructed during the Sunga period (2nd century BC to 1st century AD or 2,200 years ago).ââ
The temple site is a mound in Sanchankot in Unnao. The excavations have been going on since 2004, when UGC cleared the project for funding. ââA lot of things have come to fore since we began, but the temple complex has suddenly given impetus to our research,ââ said Prof Tewari.
Spread across an area of 600 acres, the temple is made of baked bricks. In India, most of the brick temples were built in the Gupta period which existed in the fourth century AD. The templeâs architecture is âapsidalâ (semi-circular or u-shaped) in nature.
The LU has many artifacts to conclude that Lord Shiva was worshipped in this temple. Prof Tewari said, ââA terracotta seal bearing the legend of âKaalanjar peethâ in Brahmi script was found from the site in Dec 2008.ââ
A shivling, trishul, nandi bull, and a river are inscribed over the seal. The legend of âKaalanjar peethâ is inscribed just below the river.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/2...how/4172761.cms
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image at website.
An older news related to this excavation site:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Archeological+gold+mine+unearthed+in+UP&id=71752
<span style='color:red'>Archeological gold mine unearthed in UP </span>
Aradhana Sharma
Tuesday, April 19, 2005 (Sanchankot):
The residents of Sanchankot village in Uttar Pradesh on the banks on Sai river never knew they were sitting on an archeological goldmine.
Excavations in the mounds here have revealed proof of civilizations of four different periods.
The oldest being the Painted Grey Ware period dating from 1400 to 800 BC and the latest the Gupta period of the 4-6th century AD.
A 10th century temple of the Pratihar dynasty has also been found during the excavations.
The archeological significance of the site has been known for almost 150 years now.
And almost every one who has come here has based their assessment on Fihian's writing.
And even the excavation that is going on now is based on how he has described the historical city of Saket in his book.
The area was first highlighted in 1868 by the then Director General of the ASI, General Cunningham and was mentioned in some 20th century studies.
But it was only in 1992 that this mound was declared protected. Excavations began early this year and only a small portion has been covered so far.
"These are one of the earliest known settlements that we know of. These remains are in an area of about 9 sq km. Hopefully, next year we will be able to know more," says Prof D P Tiwari, archaeologist.
Teracotta figures, seals and coins of Kushan period have also been unearthed making it the first time in northern India that an entire city of the Kushan period has been discovered.
Archeologists are optimistic that this could be the legendary 'Saket', one of the six big cities of Northern India during that time
The possibilities are extremely exciting. So far the oldest culture found in the Gangetic plains has been the Painted Grey Ware but finds of Ochre coloured pottery, associated with the Aryan culture, have also been reported.
If these are found here, they could establish the existence of a civilization parallel to that of the Indus Valley.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
LUCKNOW: Believed to be among the oldest brick shrines in India, Lucknow Universityâs department of ancient Indian history and archaeology has unearthed a 2,000-year-old Shiva temple as part of its excavation project recently in Uttar Pradeshâs Unnao district.
ââItâs actually a complex comprising five temples,ââ Prof D P Tewari of the Lucknow University said. ââWhile four temples belong to the Kushana period (1st-3rd century AD or 2,000 years ago), it appears that the primary temple was constructed during the Sunga period (2nd century BC to 1st century AD or 2,200 years ago).ââ
The temple site is a mound in Sanchankot in Unnao. The excavations have been going on since 2004, when UGC cleared the project for funding. ââA lot of things have come to fore since we began, but the temple complex has suddenly given impetus to our research,ââ said Prof Tewari.
Spread across an area of 600 acres, the temple is made of baked bricks. In India, most of the brick temples were built in the Gupta period which existed in the fourth century AD. The templeâs architecture is âapsidalâ (semi-circular or u-shaped) in nature.
The LU has many artifacts to conclude that Lord Shiva was worshipped in this temple. Prof Tewari said, ââA terracotta seal bearing the legend of âKaalanjar peethâ in Brahmi script was found from the site in Dec 2008.ââ
A shivling, trishul, nandi bull, and a river are inscribed over the seal. The legend of âKaalanjar peethâ is inscribed just below the river.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/2...how/4172761.cms
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
image at website.
An older news related to this excavation site:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Archeological+gold+mine+unearthed+in+UP&id=71752
<span style='color:red'>Archeological gold mine unearthed in UP </span>
Aradhana Sharma
Tuesday, April 19, 2005 (Sanchankot):
The residents of Sanchankot village in Uttar Pradesh on the banks on Sai river never knew they were sitting on an archeological goldmine.
Excavations in the mounds here have revealed proof of civilizations of four different periods.
The oldest being the Painted Grey Ware period dating from 1400 to 800 BC and the latest the Gupta period of the 4-6th century AD.
A 10th century temple of the Pratihar dynasty has also been found during the excavations.
The archeological significance of the site has been known for almost 150 years now.
And almost every one who has come here has based their assessment on Fihian's writing.
And even the excavation that is going on now is based on how he has described the historical city of Saket in his book.
The area was first highlighted in 1868 by the then Director General of the ASI, General Cunningham and was mentioned in some 20th century studies.
But it was only in 1992 that this mound was declared protected. Excavations began early this year and only a small portion has been covered so far.
"These are one of the earliest known settlements that we know of. These remains are in an area of about 9 sq km. Hopefully, next year we will be able to know more," says Prof D P Tiwari, archaeologist.
Teracotta figures, seals and coins of Kushan period have also been unearthed making it the first time in northern India that an entire city of the Kushan period has been discovered.
Archeologists are optimistic that this could be the legendary 'Saket', one of the six big cities of Northern India during that time
The possibilities are extremely exciting. So far the oldest culture found in the Gangetic plains has been the Painted Grey Ware but finds of Ochre coloured pottery, associated with the Aryan culture, have also been reported.
If these are found here, they could establish the existence of a civilization parallel to that of the Indus Valley.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->