New Delhi, May 30 (PTI) Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy visited the Purana Qila excavation site on Tuesday and said the remains will be preserved, conserved and provided with a shed.
Interacting with reporters, he asserted that the government considers it as an “important archaeological site”.
“Purana Qila will be re-opened, and the excavated remains will be preserved, conserved, and provided with a shed. The site will be showcased as an open air site museum, allowing visitors to experience the rich historical legacy of Delhi,” Reddy was quoted a saying in a statement issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Furthermore, the excavated remains at Purana Qila will serve as a point of attraction for the delegates of the G20 summit, consisting of various heads of states, scheduled to be held in Delhi in September 2023, he said.
Reddy in tweet, later said, “The excavated remains will be preserved in museums for public visits. Soon the site will also be opened for public visits”.
The fresh round of excavation which began in January is being led by archaeologist Vasant Swarnkar and it is the third season of excavation at Purana Qila, after excavations in the year 2013-14 and 2017-18.
Reddy visited the excavation site and saw the trenches and artefacts on display.
A range of artefacts have been unearthed as a result of multiple rounds of excavations, which date from Pre-Mauryan era to Mughal period, a senior ASI official said.
Pre-Mauryan artefacts include beads and other ancient objects, he said.
Officials in January this year had said that archaeologists were all set to carry out a fresh round of excavation at Delhi’s 16th century Purana Qila with an aim to expose and preserve the trenches that were excavated in previous such exercises.
Swarnakar said a fresh trench has also been dug at the excavation site, and multiple layers of history spanning over 2,500 have been found in one trench at the site.
Reddy said, “We consider this as an important archaeological site,” and the excavation is being done by a select team of specialists.
A spoked copper wheel of Kushana era, an arrowhead of Rajput period and coins dating from the Mughal reign are among a range of ancient artefacts unearthed in the latest excavation currently underway at the Purana Qila site in Delhi, the ASI official said.
The ongoing excavation aims to establish a complete chronology of the site. Currently, structures from the early Kushana level have been exposed, with a depth of 5.50 m reached thus far. This excavation is expected to provide further insights into the ancient city of Indraprastha, the ASI said in the statement.
“The excavation has yielded a remarkable collection of artifacts. Notable findings include a stone image of Vaikuntha Vishnu, a terracotta plaque of Gaja Laxmi, a stone image of Ganesha, seals and sealings, coins, terracotta figurines of humans and animals, beads of various stones, T.C., and a bone needle. These artifacts, along with pottery and other antiquities, offer valuable insights into the ancient civilisation and trade activities at the site,” it said.
The excavation has revealed a “continuous existence of human habitation and activities spanning 2500 years”, underscoring the historical importance of Purana Qila. More than 136 coins and 35 seals and sealings have been discovered from a small excavated area, indicating the site’s pivotal role as a center for trade activities, the ASI said.
The Ministry of Culture in a statement earlier had said that during the closure of the previous season’s excavation, “evidence of layers predating the Mauryan period was found”.
Identified as ancient settlement of Indraprastha, a continuous habitation of 2,500 years at Purana Qila was established in earlier excavations, it said.
“The findings and artefacts unearthed in earlier excavations comprises painted grey ware, belonging to 900 BC, an earthen pottery sequence from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanates and Mughal periods,” the ministry had said.
Purana Qila was built by Sher Shah Suri and Mughal emperor Humayun. The fort stands on a site nestling thousands of years of history.
Padma Vibhushana Prof B B Lal also carried out excavation works inside the fort and its premises in the year 1954 and 1969-73, the ministry had said. PTI KND ZMN
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