New Delhi: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is all set to begin excavation at Delhi’s Purana Qila again with an aim to expose and preserve the trenches that were excavated in previous such exercises. This is the third such season of excavation which will be led by ASI Director Vasant Swarnkar at Purana Qila after excavations in the year 2013-14 & 2017-18.
During the closure of the previous season’s excavation, evidence of layers predating the Mauryan period was found. "During this season’s excavation, focus would also be to accomplish the traces of Painted Grey Ware finding in a stratigraphical context. Identified as the ancient settlement of Indraprastha, a continuous habitation of 2500 years at Purana Qila was established in earlier excavations", Ministry of Culture said in a statement.
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"The findings and artefacts unearthed in earlier excavations comprises painted grey ware, belonging to 900BC, an earthen pottery sequence from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanates and Mughal periods". "Excavated artefacts such as sickles, parers, terracotta toys, kiln-burnt bricks, beads, terracotta figurines, seal and dealings, excavated earlier are now displayed at the Archaeological Museum inside the fort complex," it said.
Purana Qilla, the 16th-century fort, was built by Sher Shah Suri and the second Mughal emperor Humayun. The fort is standing on a site with thousands of years of history. Padma Vibhushana Prof. BB Lal, a renowned Indian archaeologist, who died in the previous year at 101 also carried out excavation works inside the fort and its premises in the years 1954 and 1969 -73.
