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Exploring the hoary past
The remnants of nearly 4,000-year-old settlement in the countryside of Jangaon, 90 kms northeast of Hyderabad, are giving historians a unique glimpse into the life of the past. The site alongside elephant shaped hillock, Gajagirigutta, sandwiched between Konney and Ramachandrapur villages under Bachhannapet mandal, is virtually a treasure trove of yesteryears’ remains.
Jangaon: The remnants of nearly 4,000-year-old settlement in the countryside of Jangaon, 90 kms northeast of Hyderabad, are giving historians a unique glimpse into the life of the past. The site alongside elephant shaped hillock, Gajagirigutta, sandwiched between Konney and Ramachandrapur villages under Bachhannapet mandal, is virtually a treasure trove of yesteryears’ remains.
On a mission to bring the life that spanned through Neolithic, Megalithic and early historic periods to fore is a team consisting of scholars and students headed by history professor KP Rao of University of Hyderabad (UoH). The team is expected to continue its excavation for about 45 days. The aim is to collect remains of ancient era to study the culture, cropping patterns and food habits.
“Carbon dating analysis will determine the time to which the collected remains belong. It needs to excavate to a depth of around 15 feet,” Prof KP Rao told The Hans India. Remains include such as earthen pots, terracotta artefacts, beads, charred grains etc., he added.
The spotting of some megalithic burials in the region some time ago has led to the present excavation, Rao said, who camped at nearby Kenney village along with his team. The team, which reached the site a couple of days ago, is done with surface cleaning and trench layout activity has started its search in humus level excavation.It may be noted here that the project is aided by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Telangana Government, which had sanctioned Rs 3 lakh.
The collected remains will be analysed at the UoH, Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology and other labs. What is interesting is that a team from London University is also expected to join the excavation to collect microscopic pollen grains which provides information on ancient human use of plants and plant resources. The analysis of botanical remains will be done by the London University, it’s learnt.
R Ratnakar Reddy, a local archaeology enthusiast, who extensively researched on his own and collected some remnants such as beads, earthen pots, rock tools, terracotta items etc., has been coordinating with the UoH team.
“Apart from Gajagirigutta site, there are several such places in the region that once embellished with rich culture. They need to be explored extensively,” Reddy said.Ramoju Haragopal, a member of the Committee on Telangana History, had also done research in this area and collected some valuable information.
