Unique seal pendant discovered in Orissa

Unique seal pendant discovered in Orissa
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

BHUBANESWAR, AUG 7: Two archaeologists have discovered a unique seal matrix engraved on a pendant made of red jasper from an early historic site of Budhigarh in western Orissa.

The seal is considered significant from the archaeological point of view as it is the second of its kind, a mixed script of Kharoshit and Brahmi, found from Orissa.

According to Pradeep Mahanty and Baba Mishra of the archaeology department of Deccan College, Pune, the seal was discovered during excavations at the Budhigarh site, located close to Madanpur village of Kalahandi district.

The artefactual evidence from the site indicated that it was occupied from the early historic to the medieval period. The site has already revealed a rich ceramic industry, terracota, enormous quantity of cast and punched marked coins, iron implements, faunal remains, brick structure and lavish use of beads made of precious and semi-precious stones.

According to Mahanty the diamond-shape centimetre long seal matrix was unearthed from Budhigarh surface. The proximal end of the seal bears a floral motif. It is well-polished, attractive and aesthetically appealing.

He claimed that the legend in the seal was written in well-known mixed script of early AD century which consisted of Kharoshit and Brahmi letters. The script, the archaeologist said, was in popular use in lower Bengal in the early centuries.

The inscription, Mahanty said, was the second instance of writing in the mixed script found from Orissa. Earlier, a similar type of seal was also discovered from Manikpatna, an early historic port site in Puri district on the Bay of Bengal.

He said the seal matrix belonged to a person who was a patron of Brahmanical sacrifice. The perforation in the top region of the matrix suggested that it was used as a pendant of a string garland.

It was probably worn by the owner who used the matrix whenever necessary. This also indicates how Brahmanical religion had percolated into the upland region of tribal principality. Both Mahanty and Mishra, recently got the license from the Archaeological Survey of India to excavate the early historic site of Orissa.