Archeological Sources (Introduction)

During the recent excavations at Kaushambi the remains of a fortress-palace made of stone have been discovered. The area of this palace has been found 1,015 ft x 500 ft in the southern-western corner of the ancient city. The northern boundary wall is built of stones set in lime of fine quality. It has two circular tower's at the two ends and rectangular one in the middle. Traces of a ditch (about 15 ft wide, and 15ft deep) encircling the fortress, have also been found.^[1]

The stone wall and the ancillary structures had ten building -periods, ranging from c. 700 B.C. to the first-second centuries A.D. The stratigraphic evidence reveals that the palace was occupied by king Udayana and his predecessors. Later on the successors of Udayana also occupied it. The present discovery has thrown fresh light on the origin of Indian architecture, in so far as it has proved beyond doubt that masonary architecture in India was evolved independently of the Persian or Indo-Greek influence.

The excavations have also revealed three main phases of architectural evolution in the buildings of the palace area The earliest phase of the palace was built entirely of rand un-rubbles, huge stones being laid in time. These stones were not dressed, but the sides of the walls were possibly plastered. The foundations of the undressed phase of the palace were laid in the pre-Northern Black Polished ware levels. An accumulation of nearly 2 ft. against this wall 1s found to be anti dating northern black polished ware on the site. It has yielded Painted Grey ware plain Grey ware and red ware with types analogous to those from Hastinapur. The second phase of the palace, which came into being immediately after the introduction of the Northern black polished ware, marks the apogee of architectural excellence. During this period the neatly dressed stones were used to provide the facings of both the sides on the wall and the masonry is entirely ashlar. In the construction of a later structural period of this phase flush pointing was also introduced which is clearly represented in the central rectangular tower. On the basis of stratigraphy and antiquities the ashlar phase of the palace complex seems to have continued till the second century B.C. It is significant to note that its sealing layer has yielded arrow-heads of the Indo-Greek type. The third phase of the palace was made of bricks and stones, used indiscriminately, and was covered externally with a thick coating of lime plaster. The alignment of the buildings of this phase has been found considerably different from that of the building of the palace in phases I and II. The third phase continued from the 2nd century B.C. to 2nd century A.D.

The Syenaciti^[2] (Hawk-shaped altar) of the Agnicayana and the Purusamedha (human sacrifice), 1s one of the most sifnificant discoveries at Kaushambi. The Brahmanas and the Srauta-Sutras have prescribed complex and elaborate procedure for the performance of this ritual. The five layers of brick the use of heads, bones, tortoise, fire-pan (ukha), and other minute details of the building of the altar, as revealed by the excavations are in accordance with the rules laid down in the ritual texts, The performance of the Purusamedha sacrifice on the Syenačiti was in the context of a repair of the rampart after the Greek invasion. The circumstantial evidence points out to the probability that the ritual was performed by Pusyamitra Shunga, which seems to have symbolised the assertion of his sovereignty over the inimical forces.

The excavations have also revealed the town planning of the period under review. Several structures of houses made of bricks have been exposed. An idea of the temples of Brahmanical divinities has also been obtained.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Allahabad Through the ages, pp. 18, (Report).

[2]:

Allahabad through the ages, pp. 18; G.R. Sharma at the Kaushambi Excavations, pp. 33.