Archaeologists to Excavate Great Ancient Center in Bengal

India, West Bengal, Chandraketugarh region, South Asia
Vase with Processional Scenes, circa 100 B.C. 
Gift of John and Fausta Eskenazi. Wikimedia Commons

Terracota Yaksha, Sunga period (1st century BC), found in Chandraketugarh (West Bengal) - Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York. Wikimedia Commons

Sunga woman with child. Chandraketugarh. Sunga 2nd-1st century BCE. Musée Guimet. Wikimedia Commons

State government in India opens way to excavate and preserve Chandraketugarh, the lost ancient civilization in Bengal.

It is thought by some historians to be legendary Gangaridai, a place belonging to a king considered a "mighty ruler" by Alexander the Great during his quest for conquest. Over many years, its artifacts have found their way on the international antiquities markets, enriching the dealers but robbing archaeologists and historians of valuable information needed to reconstruct and understand the great civilization that developed and flourished in West Bengal for 1500 years.

Since the discovery of its ruins more than a century ago, the 2,500-year-old site of Chandraketugarh has only been partly excavated. Looting, neglect and decay have been the banes of its existence now for decades.

But all that is about to change. According to a report in The Times of India, Bengal’s richest archaeological treasure will be turned into a "heritage village". This means that the West Bengal Heritage Commission (WBHC), in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), will begin a major excavation of the site within the next year, followed by construction of a museum, research facilities and tourism center at the site. It is considered to hold potential as the oldest early-history site in Bengal.

“A thorough excavation will show off Chandraketugarh as the Mecca of Bengal’s heritage,” said Shuvaprasanna, Chairman of the WBHC. “Tourists will be awed by the sheer historical evidence lurking in and around the place… We shall do everything to establish Chandraketugarh in its archaeological glory.”

The first serious excavations of Chandraketugarh took place in the 1950s, when the ruins of a massive temple and fort structure were uncovered. They were part of a city that flourished between the 4th Century BC through the 12th Century AD, representing six different eras of civilization. But all that remains of the temple today are walls and a set of stairs. It has been left vulnerable to looting and decay. Much more of the urban settlement of Chandraketugarh lies below the surface, waiting to be discovered. Already available for study and exhibit, however, are objects like the gold coin belonging to Chandragupta-Kumaradevi, terracotta plaques, figurines, pottery, stone beads, ivory and bone materials, and beautifully sculpted and well-preserved wooden objects that are centuries old. Much more will be sought for return from the British Museum.

The WBHC is anticipating support from UNESCO and hopes to ultimately have the site added to the World Heritage List.