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| Archaeological
Explorations |
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| Archaeological
Explorations -Village-to-Village
Exploration, district Mirzapur. |
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| Introduction |
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Exploration
of all the antiquarian remains of the area: Location and
Documentation. |
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| Project Director |
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Rakesh Tewari
assisted by Girish Chandra Singh, Directorate of Archaeology,
Lucknow . |
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| Project Phase |
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Survey for
eight field seasons has been completed . |
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| Project Phase |
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As far as
archaeological researches are concerned Mirzapur district
is one of the most extensively investigated areas. British
archaeologists Cunningham,carlleyle and Cockburn initiated
their researches in this area in the second half of the
nineteenth century. Thereafter, the Universities of Allahabad
and BHU had carried out numerous exploration and excavation
projects consistently in different areas of this district
from time to time. These works have provided a considerably
large source of archaeological material, on the basis
of which history of this area from palaeolithic period
to the early historic times has been reconstructed on
a sound basis. It may be noted in this respect that these
works were generally aimed for some specific objectives
particularly regarding the pre- and proto-historic periods.
Therefore, the sites and remains related to the later
periods, say after 300 BC, could not get their due attention.
Keeping this status of research in mind Village-to-Village
survey project was undertaken under the U.P. State Archaeological
organisation in 1974-75 to enlist all the antiquarian
remains of the district irrespective of the consideration
whether they belong to pre and proto-historic period or
to the medieval period. |
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During the
survey carried out for eight seasons so far hundreds of
pre and proto-historic / early historic and later sites
comprising of stone artefacts, potsherds, megaliths, painted
rock shelters, ancient stone quarries, stone temples,
inscriptions and stone sculptures, etc. have been documented,
including a large number of unreported ones. Mention may
be made of painted rock shelters near Ahraura and Nikarika,
stone quarries of Moharpur, Baghera Khurd and Birohi,
megaliths of Rajgarh area, stone celts of Lusa, ancient
mounds of Ahraura, Bhagawati Dei, Bhuili, Bidaur, Dohar,
Gaurawa, Majhiar, Baghera Kalan, Bahutimai Chakchaura,
Shivapur, etc. Stone temples of Pratihara Period from
Bardiha Khurd and Bataunha, temple remains, stone sculptures
from Aghwar, Barji Mukundpur, Jasowar, Bataunha, Bardiha
Khurd, etc. and an inscription from Pandra Hanuman are
important new additions to our knowledge. The evidence
documented during this work has provided a clear understanding
about the settlement pattern of the ancient sites in the
region, cultural and religious activities, alignments
of ancient routes connecting Varanasi/ Mirzapur region
with Jhusi - Kausambi region in the west, Ayodhya (Saket)
in the north, Pataliputra (Patna) in the east and Deccan
in the south, besides other aspects. |
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Over 450 archaeological
sites, reported till date in Mirzapur district by the
earlier investigators as well as by the Directorate of
Archaeology Uttar Pradesh, have been listed under the
reports published in Pragdhara 9 and 11. Their
references are given below. |
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| Publications |
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Tewari, Rakesh
1982. Thirakate Shail Chitra (Hindi). - Monograph on the
dance scenes depicted in the Rock Paintings of Mirzapur,
Published by Yuva Paribhramana Evam Sanskratik Samiti,
Lucknow. |
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Tewari, Rakesh
1982. 'Mirzapur ke shailasryon mein chitrit manvon mein
saaj-sajja ki pravratti' BMA No. 29-30, pp. 1-16 (Hindi). |
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Tewari, Rakesh
1990. Rock Paintings of Mirzapur. Monograph on the rock
paintings of district Mirzapur (including newly created
district of Sonbhadra), published by the U.P. State Archaeological
Organisation, Lucknow. |
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Tewari, Rakesh
1992. 'Rock Paintings of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh', Rock
Art in the Old World, (Ed. Michel Lorblanchet), Indira
Gandhi Centre for the Arts, Central Vista Mess, Janpath,
New Delhi, pp. 284-302. |
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Tewari, Rakesh
1997. 'Gram stariya sarvekshana:vikas khand Rajgarh: Jila
Mirzapur', Pragdhara . 7, pp. 51-57 (Hindi). |
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Tewari, Rakesh,
P. K. Singh, G. C. Singh 1999. Archaeological Investigations
in Dist. Mirzapur', Pragdhara . 9, pp. 163-223. |
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Tewari, Rakesh
2000. 'A few Newly Reported Post Gupta Stone temples of
Uttaranchal Himalayas and north Vindhyas, Kala: The
Journal of Indian Art History Congress, Vol.
VI: 1999-2000, pp. 37-43. |
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Tewari, Rakesh,
G. C. Singh 2001. 'Exploration in District Mirzapur (Uttar
Pradesh): 1999- 2000', Pragdhara . 11, pp. 91-104. |
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