Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - A 4,000-year-old urban settlement has been discovered by a team of researchers from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
The Babhaniyav village where the remnants of the settlement were unearthed is one of the craft villages mentioned in ancient texts.
Based on the preliminary survey of the site located about 13 km from Varanasi mentioned in ancient texts related to the holy city of Varanasi – one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism – and known as Benares, Banaras, or Kashi). Varanasi is located on the left bank of the Ganges (Ganga) River, in southeastern Uttar Pradesh state, northern India.
The survey found a temple dating back to the 5th century through the 8th century, potteries which are 4,000-year-old and walls that are 2,000-year-old, and on the basis of the surface materials, the remnants of the structure are are between 3,500 to 4,000-year-old, according to Professor AK Dubey of the BHU department.
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Dubey also added that the discovery of the site was of significance because of its proximity to Varanasi and that it was possible that it grew as an urban town.
The Tribune writes that according to the experts the site at Babhaniyav could have developed as a sub-center of Varanasi. They have also found a temple dating back to the 5th Century AD - 8th Century AD.
According to BR Mani, a former Additional Director General of Archaeological Survey of India, these archaeological findings are important as Babhaniyav could have been a satellite town and feeding center for Varanasi-Sarnath region.
The excavations also revealed a five-meter cultural deposit like the ones found in Sarnath (only 10 kilometers north-east of Varanasi city), where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence.
“While such crafts villages have been earlier unearthed in Sarnath, Tilmapur, Ramnagar and other areas, Babhaniyav is an addition. They have also found a pillar with a two-line text in Kushan Brahmi script which makes the findings at least 3,500-4,000 years old,” Mani said.
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“Once the excavation is complete, we will get a clearer picture,” said Mani, who now heads the National Museum.
According to update, the excavation at Bhabhaniyav village also revealed a 4000 years old Shivalinga and the BHU experts say that the site could have been a place of worship thousands of years ago. However, more research is being done to confirm these statements.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
