A museum to keep artifacts and antiquities unearthed in excavations in Uttar Pradesh is likely to come up next year.
Uttar Pradesh State Archeological Department (UPSAD) officials said the museum would come up at Kothi Roshan-ud-Daula, the architectural marvel commissioned by Ghazi-ud-din Haider’s minister Raushan-ud-Daula during his regime.
“It’s the best suited place for any museum. Its open area and spacious rooms are just perfect for the purpose. The museum will house artifacts that were never displayed for public viewing,” said a senior officer with UPSAD.
The artifacts include furnaces, arrow heads, cultural components and other iron antiquities dated between BCE (before the Common Era) 1800 and 1000, unearthed during UPSAD’s extensive excavation at various historical sites in the state.
He said other than iron artifacts, stone and bone artifacts, painted incised potsherd, terracotta beads and lots of other important cultural components will be placed in the museum. “It will be a chance for the people to peep into the world of our ancestors and forefathers,” he added.
In addition to the general segment, the museum would also have different chambers that will display the artifacts from separate excavation sites. One of the sites is Dadupur, falling between Gomti and Sai River. It is one of the biggest sites of excavation. Its artifacts would be on display. In Dadupur excavation, the department had recovered the iron artifacts that include arrow heads, red ware, black and red ware and several other relics. Carbon dating of the artifacts reveals that it is from Painted Grey Ware (PGW) and Northern Black Polish (NBP) ware, between 16th and 18th centuries.
{{/usCountry}}In addition to the general segment, the museum would also have different chambers that will display the artifacts from separate excavation sites. One of the sites is Dadupur, falling between Gomti and Sai River. It is one of the biggest sites of excavation. Its artifacts would be on display. In Dadupur excavation, the department had recovered the iron artifacts that include arrow heads, red ware, black and red ware and several other relics. Carbon dating of the artifacts reveals that it is from Painted Grey Ware (PGW) and Northern Black Polish (NBP) ware, between 16th and 18th centuries.
{{/usCountry}}Similarly, the artifacts from famous Jajmau mound, Kanpur would be another attraction at the museum. In this, the antiquities dating back to 3000 years and also the evidences of pre-Mauryan and Kushan period would be displayed. Copper coins, seals, terracotta beads, granaries, burnt bricks would be displayed, he added.
It is also said that excavation sites like Hulaskhera, Soni, Raja Nal Ka Tila, Malhar, Naidih, Rajdhani Tila and others will find place in the museum.
Kothi Roshan-ud-Daula, which was in very bad shape, is undergoing conservation work that is expected to get completed in six months. “the Kothi’s conservation work is on at a war footing. It will take another few months for the entire work to get completed,” another officer from state archaeology department said.
Those engaged in conservation work said completing the work in the stipulated time is no easy task. “Presently we are working on the roof and other parts of the building that were in utter bad shape. We have replaced all the wooden beams and support and are now strengthening the structure. Though it’s tough, but we can expect it to get completed within time,” said Nitin Kohli, the contractor, who is carrying out the construction work.
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