Salvage Archaeology, in the Indian context: Some specific examples and issues discussed (2)

Salvage Archaeology, in the Indian context: Some specific examples and issues discussed (2)

200 Megalithic Graves Found On Nagarjunasagar Dam Bed[1]: In a rare archaeological find, the Department of Archaeology and Museums officials have found about 200 megalithic burial sites on the Nagarjunasagar reservoir bed. It can be said that these could be found only because of the dam construction. In other words, the “Salvage archaeology” worked in other way, paving way for such discoveries. The sites surfaced recently after the water level in the dam receded below the minimum draw down level (MDDL). The officials said people lived there between 1,000 BC and 2nd Century CE and they could have used the area located exactly under Nagarjunasagar reservoir bed as their community burial site. Their conclusion was based on finding a large number of stone circle burials at one spot. Speaking to The Hindu, Assistant Director of the Department of Archaeology and Museums P. Nagaraju said they could not say that there were more such burial sites under the water since some had been spotted. “We have found proof that the people had made the Nagarjunasagar backwater area, where the river Krishna and its tributary Dindi converge, their habitation some 3,000 years ago with this finding,” Nagaraju stated. Several excavations in the past had proved that civilisations had flourished on the river banks due to water availability and the finding of the burials was very close to river would support that theory again.

 

An insight into lifestyle[2]: Stating that the excavation would provide an insight into the lifestyle of people who lived in that era, Nagaraju said there was a practice of burying various belongings used by the dead along with the body. “Such belongings will certainly help us know about religion, food habits, occupation and others details related to the people buried here,” the Assistant Director said adding that local people had also informed the archaeology officials that there was a habitation very close to the burial site found now until Nagarjunasagar project was constructed. However, the inhabitants were displaced and rehabilitated elsewhere when the impounding of water in the reservoir began in 1950s.

Project at Bankata village near Soraon in the district: His expertise in ‘salvage archaeology’ will surely provide the required guidance to his Indian counterparts. Dr Anders Kaliff associate professor, PhD, Deputy HoD of National Heritage Board, Archaeological Excavations Department of Sweden, was in town on to acquaint his Indian counterparts about the subject. “Those associated with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have invited me to be a part of their project on salvage archaeology.  Fortunately, this project is about to begin in Bankata village near Soraon in the district soon,” said Dr Kaliff. He is already working with a group of 150 people in Sweden, admitted that the legislation in Sweden is quite strong and it makes sure that appropriate attention is given to archaeological activities in a bid to protect the cultural heritage of the country. Dr Kaliff said [3]“Basically, salvage archaeology refers to the term where we proceed with the conservation and documentation of significant historical sites while creating awareness among the organisations concerned with the developmental works such as construction of highways, buildings etc. They unknowingly destroy the invaluable antiquities. We also involve them in the archaelogical process since it requires lots of funding. Similar procedure will be adopted in Bankata village and it will be a joint venture hopefully with the national highway authorities“.

 Awareness has to be created about salvage archaeology: He also praised the efforts of Dr Sunil Gupta, convener of INTACH, Allahabad Chapter to make him a part of this important project. “Systematic work is required in the field of ‘salvage archaeology’ in India since we need to make common people aware about its importance and involve them too. India provides the benefit of best documentation since it is enriched with multiple remarkable sites. Both Indian and Swedish colleges could work in collaboration in future,” he added[4]. Dr Kaliff lays much stress on non-destructive methods of archaeology with the use of latest equipment. Besides working in Sweden, Dr Kailff also has fond memories of his years spent in Jordan where he came across the history of Old Testament. “I have been in this profession since I was 18 years old. Indian culture and heritage drew my attention when I was working on the subject of comparative religions,” he added.

Similarities in the cremation rites in India and fire rituals carried out in Scandinavia: According to Dr Kaliff, there are lots of similarities in the cremation rites in India and fire rituals carried out in Scandinavia. “Languages too find similarity. Several words have been derived from Sanskrit language such as Agni in Sanskrit is used as Ignis in Latin,” he added[5].   In his paper, he noted that, A crucial significance for fire as a divine medium, possibly similar to that of the Vedic Agni, seems at any rate to be reflected in the Scandinavian evidence from the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The different stages of the cremation ritual, fire sacrifices, and other ritual fires, and the deposition of artefacts and bone in the earth and in wetlands, may indicate the complementary significance of the different elements. The ritual significance of pottery may also indicate the occurrence of a sacred drink of significance for the rituals. Even if we cannot know what people in Scandinavia called the gods that were associated with basic phenomena like fire and liquid, they may have great similarities to the Vedic Agni and Soma……… In Scandinavian tradition it is clear that fire as a ritual implement nevertheless continued to be important during the Iron Age and even historical times”. Here, in the Indian context, about his assignment “Depending upon the funding for the Bankata project, the work will start latest by the month of November,” he added.

How infrastructute development projects could affect existing and hidden archaeological monuments and evidences: Rescue is usually associated with danger, excitement and saving lives. But archaeology deals with things that are already dead and have been for some time. In the march towards progress, construction and development projects are cutting, digging, chomping and hacking their way across our lands. Now, disappearing forests, polluted lakes and rivers, destroyed natural habitat and others affect environment. The construction of high-rises, mines, dams and highways are churning up and destroying archaeological sites and treasures of our ancient heritage. Protecting prehistoric sites can involve years of litigation over land acquisition, as well as battling encroachments. And vandalism and theft is rampant across sites and monuments[6]. The ephemeral nature of the sites is a major roadblock to the slow, deliberate pace of fieldwork for prehistoric research, which often spans decades. Much of the land holding the country’s buried past is, however, being disturbed and rapidly transformed for modern development – agriculture, roads, infrastructure, and expanding cities…… the government has pushed for more roads, industrial corridors, and large hydroelectric dams, even proposing changes to existing environmental and archaeological heritage protection legislations to ease the way for businesses[7].

How Vijayapuri at Nagarjunasagr was saved and reconstructed[8]:  Almost 1700 years ago, Vijayapuri (150km south of Hyderabad) was the capital of the Ikshvaku rulers. A large area on the banks of the River Krishna, it was a thriving centre of Buddhism where the famous monk Nagarjuna lived and taught. There were monasteries, shrines, amphitheatres, viharas and a world famous university with monks coming from as far as China and Sri Lanka. In the 1960s, the government decided to make the Nagarjunasagar Dam. The reservoir would flood all the beautiful monuments and remains of this once-thriving capital. Once again, bold archaeologists and engineers excavated all the major monuments, moved them and reconstructed them on a hilltop some distance away. There is a beautiful vihara-shaped museum on an island in the middle of the Nagarjunasagar reservoir. The ‘island’ is the hilltop to which the ancient Vijayapuri was moved. All the major monuments were reconstructed on this island. The rest lie under the waters of the reservoir[9].  Today, all over the world, valiant archaeologists are still battling the forces of progress to rescue valuable treasures from our past. Future generations will be able to marvel at them.

  © K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

14-01-2021

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[1] The Hindu, 200 megalithic graves found on Nagarjunasagar dam bed, T. Karnakar Reddy, NALGONDA:, SEPTEMBER 07, 2015 00:58 IST; UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 07, 2015 13:35 IS

[2] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/200-megalithic-graves-found-on-nagarjunasagar-dam-bed/article7622304.ece

[3] Hindustan Times, On mission ?salvage archaeology?, Padmini Singh,  Updated: Jun 10, 2006, 00:00 IST,

[4] https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/on-mission-salvage-archaeology/story-iyWuKUhLHVC6o35OfCf6EN.html

[5] Anders Kaliff, The Vedic Agni and Scandinavian Fire Rituals – A Possible Connection, Current Swedish Archaeology, Vol. 13, 2005, pp.77-97.

[6] The wire, In India, Modern Development Puts Prehistoric Sites at Risk, 16.07.2020

[7] https://science.thewire.in/the-sciences/india-archaeological-heritage-protection-shanti-pappu-sendrayanpalayam/

[8] Deccan Herald, Rescue Archaeology: Saving our heritage, Devika Cariapa, DEC 15 2011, 22:28 IST, UPDATED: DEC 16 2011, 02:35 IST.

[9] https://www.deccanherald.com/content/212001/rescue-archaeology-saving-our-heritage.html

The ruins of an ancient temple unearthed during the highway expansion works at Navelim, in Salcete, Goa

The ruins of an ancient temple unearthed during the highway expansion works at Navelim, in Salcete, Goa

Does salvage archaeology works well in India?: Salvage archaeology, has becoming famous, as such discipline goes to save, redeem and protect all the buried items would get excavated and delivered to safe places for preservation and protection. The word salvage may imply rescue, save, recover, retrieve, reclaim and so on, but, many times, it is not carried on properly, due to many reasons.  Accordingly, Salvage archeology or Rescue archaeology, sometimes called commercial archaeology, preventive archaeology, contract archaeology, or compliance archaeology, is state-sanctioned, for-profit archaeological survey and excavation carried out in advance of construction or other land development. Thus, if the contractors and others involved in the infrastructure development are honestly concerned about it, they could exploit, but, as they want to make quick money and get away from the government, public and other issues, they just suppress and carry on their work to complete, get money and go away. The Navelim temple ruins found at Goa, has been the classical example in this regard.

The condition, situation and status of the parts, pieces and chunks of granite stone of a temple

The doorway of the temple made of black granite

The ruins of an ancient temple unearthed in Goa- June 2020: The ruins of an ancient temple have been unearthed during the highway expansion works at Navelim, in Salcete[1], as reported by the Times of India and other local newspapers. Evidently, it was not attracted the attention of others of other states of India. The Goa State archaeology department was then reportedly approaching the PWD to allow them to supervise the work and salvage the remains, which they fear could become a casualty of the highway if they do not intervene[2]. However, as per the local people the ASI had already taken large portions of the temple in the early 1990s. In other words, the State department must have been aware of the position. Moreover, it was also mentioned in the media that 25 years ago, the Rodrigues family had found a defaced idol probably of Betal, which is installed in their property.  From the Rodrigues family only, the land of from Navelim, had been acquired for the highway expansion. Therefore, the State Archaeology dept. must have taken suitable steps following the principles of “Salvage archaeology,” when the PWD acquired the land for road expansion and strted excavation or digging.

The broken parts and sculptures could be that of 11^th – 14^th centuries and the the architecture is similar to that of the Tambdi Surla temple: The ruins of a temple possibly of the door of the sanctorum of what was of Lord Betal or Lord Shiva were found in Navelim during the highway expansion work[3], thus, the media started reporting. The ruins were found in the land of Rodrigues family from Navelim, which had been acquired for the highway expansion. According to Yogesh Nagvenkar from the History Lovers Group, the temple is between the 11th and 14^th Century during the Kadamba period and the architecture is similar to that of the Tambdi Surla temple[4]. The official confirmed that details from the Archives and Archaeology Department on the period of this temple would be revealed after the inspection of the ruins. It is learnt that 25 years ago, the Rodrigues family had found a defaced idol probably of Betal, which is installed in their property. Sources informed that the artifacts and pieces of the ruins found here will soon have a place for display in a museum planned in a small space in the Mahalasa Temple, Verna. The government will set up the museum. Locals informed that the ASI had already taken large portions of the temple in the early 1990s[5]. Many large stones were taken from the site before we learnt that more stones of the ruins have been found during excavation[6].

Broken parts, part of base

Archaeological experts have denied that this could be an instance of the Portuguese era when new religious structures were erected in place of existing ones: “One of the locals informed us of the remains that look like a temple structure. These were near the Chapel of St Xavier’s close to which the highway expansion project has been going on,” assistant superintendent of archaeology Varad Sabnis said. A joint inspection was conducted last week by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and archaeology department officials. Archaeological experts have denied that this could be an instance of the Portuguese era when new religious structures were erected in place of existing ones. The architecture of the St Xavier chapel is fairly recent, Sabnis said. “The chapel is a newly built one,” he said. “We would like to inspect the site when the work is ongoing to see if there are any more remains. The “denial mode” of te archaeological dept. officials was intriguing, as such happening had been the characteristic of Goa. The remains can be displayed either at the department or at the state museum,” Sabnis said. Sources said that the highway expansion works have currently halted due to the monsoon. The archaeology department is in the process of writing to the PWD to permit them access to the site. Experts estimate that the remains belong to the 13^th or 14^th century. However, an exact date and time stamp is yet to be placed on the find.

The Navelim temple ruins would be taken to museum: The Navelim temple ruins, which are currently in the custody of the department of archaeology, were likely to be shifted to a museum very soon[7]. Sources from the department said the files are moving very slowly, with the financial decisions especially affected due to the pandemic[8]. “We have kept the move on hold, but the remains are safe in our custody. We will be shifting them very soon either to the Goa state museum or some other location in the state that falls under the department of archaeology,” an archaeology official said. “The temple ruins are significant of the state’s architecture, so they will be displayed in the state itself after we decide the location,” the official added. Sources said that following the discovery of the excavated temple ruins, there has been no further find of the monument’s remains. The photos of broken parts, sculptures etc., have been copied from the video[9].

Why archaeologists, historian and other researchers ignore or unaware of these happenings?:  In the case of RJM-BM issue most of the historians, archaeologists, politicians, ideologists and others had been lecturing, tutoring, giving discourses and shouting slogans at WAC, IHC and other forums and even fighting with each others, deposing before the courts giving evidences according to their expertise etc., are silent or not found to make any comments or express their concern.

1. The condition, situation and status of the parts, pieces and chunks of granite stone of a temple prove that the existed temple was definitely demolished.
2. The way they had been wrecked, reduced to rubbles and found buried helter-skelter prove that such action was carried on wantonly.
3. The ruins could not have taken place due to any other reasons, as they were found in shambles, disintegrated and deteriorated, but for the status of granite.
4. The parts taken by the ASI in 1990s and these found at now, are studied together, by putting them to probable position, like zig-saw puzzle, the experts could get a full picture.
5. As more and more infrastructure development activities have started and been going spending hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees, there is nothing wrong in spending few lakhs for “rescue archaeology.”
6. As already many such works had place, it is not known, what were recovered, destroyed or details revealed or suppressed.
7. Even the organizations, Universities and institutions having research on the fields of archaeology, numismatics, art and architecture, history etc., have not taken serious concern and interest in these happenings.
8. In fact, the local students of related subjects could have been taken for field studies, as these areas have been with many such features and sculptures found at remote places.
9. Incidentally, the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act, 2008 (Goa Act 6 of 2008) and the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010 (Incorporating Amendments upto September, 2018) cover all these activities. In the list, Navelim, Salete Taluka has been covered[10].
10. Therefore, the concerned state and Central archaeological departments must have taken suitable action and inspected the excavations carried or near the places of worship, monuments etc.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

13-01-2021

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[1] Times of India, Temple ruins found during road expansion at Navelim, Nida Sayed | TNN | Jun 29, 2020, 04:28 IST.

[2] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/temple-ruins-found-during-road-expansion-at-navelim/articleshow/76679614.cms

[3] Herald.Goa, Archives Dept to pick old temple ruins found in Navelim,  03 Jul 2020, 05:03am IST

[4] https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Archives-Dept-to-pick-old-temple-ruins-found-in-Navelim-/162541

[5] The Navhind Times, Temple ruins found during highway expansion at Navelim, By Navhind Times, 2020-07-01

[6] https://www.navhindtimes.in/2020/07/01/goanews/temple-ruins-found-during-highway-expansion-at-navelim/

[7] Times of India, Navelim temple ruins may be shifted to museum, TNN | Updated: Nov 12, 2020, 14:25 IST.

[8] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/navelim-temple-ruins-may-be-shifted-to-museum/articleshow/79180646.cms

[9] Yogesh Nagvenkar – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOeSCHS-Tec, tracing link to –

https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/konkani_goa_news_live_today

[10]  The Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act, 2008 (Goa Act 6 of 2008), p.85.