Satvahana site to be re-excavated

In a bid to establish the missing cultural sequences after and during the Satvahana dynasty, which ruled the large part of Central India in second century B.C., the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra will begin excavating the site near Ter in Osmanabad district.

Satavahana coin dating to the First century BCE inscribed 
in Brahmi: "(Sataka)Nisa" [Credit: British Museum]

“We are excited to begin our work on such an important site. This was an important place on the trade route with the then Roman Empire. We hope that new discoveries await us in next two months, as we start working,” said Dr. Maya Patil, Deputy Director, Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.

Though the site first discovered by British researchers in early 1900, an illiterate villager called Ramlingappa Lamture played a crucial role in preserving a number of terracotta figurines, pendants and several artefacts. Today, the village hosts a museum exclusively of objects collected by late Lamture, which is looked after by the next generation of his family.

Prominent researchers like Dr. S.B. Deo worked in Ter till 1975 in excavating several important artefacts from the surrounding area.

“Today’s Paithan (then Prathisthan) was the capital of Satvahana Empire. The trade route with Rome was established after the researchers in Italy found similar terracotta figurines that can be found in Ter,” said Dr. Patil.

According to her, due to a gap of over 40 years several studies on trading, lifestyle of people of that time and most importantly the cultural sequence have failed to complete. “Though the sites are protected, the possibility of local interference always looms large. There are cases when people have walked away with the artefacts found at the site. We had to collect them from their homes,” she said.

The directorate expects to complete its work before monsoon. Along with the researchers and officials, students from various universities in Maharashtra will also participate in the excavation work.

Author: Alok Deshpande | Source: The Hindu [January 31, 2015]