2 days ago
Beneath the hill, a lost world: 4000-year-old settlement found in Karnataka's Maski
Ancient artefacts believed to be around 4000 years old have been discovered during an excavation near Mallikarjuna Hill and the Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Maski town, Raichur district. The region, already known for the discovery of a famous Ashokan inscription, has once again found itself in the archaeological spotlight.A team of archaeologists currently researching in Maski has traced human activity in the area back 4000 years, uncovering signs of an early and thriving than 20 researchers from India, the United States, and Canada are involved in the excavation. Their findings suggest that a human settlement dating back to between the 11th and 14th centuries BCE once existed such as clay pots, artistic pieces, tools, and cooking utensils have been recovered, indicating a developed community with evolving cultural practices. The excavation is being led by Professor Dr. Andrew M. Bauer from Stanford University (USA), Dr. Peter G. Johansen from McGill University (Canada), and scholars from Shiv Nadar University (India). The team has been working in Maski for the past three months, conducting intensive fieldwork after receiving permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).Prior to the excavation, researchers had identified 271 potential sites of interest. The current work around Mallikarjuna Hill and the nearby temple has confirmed long-term human one of the lead researchers, confirmed that the artefacts provide strong evidence of continuous human presence in Maski around 4000 years ago, further cementing the town's significance in South Indian archaeology.- Ends
advertisement
