Eternal India Encyclopedia

ARCHAEOLOGY

Eternal India

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marine transgression drowned a pre-existing desert landscape

between 6000 and 7000 B.P. isolating Bahrain from the mainland.

The earliest evidence for this transgression is found in the higher

beach features at Ras Hayyan. In relative terms, however, they

(Doomkamp and his colleagues) described the inundation of the

coastal plain about 6500 years ago to a point now recognized by

coastal landform at 5 m elevation. At this time several islands

were present along the southwest coast of Bahrain. A relative fall

in sea level occurred after this and was followed by a period of

resubmergence between 3000 and 5000 BP. These archaeological

data, as well as the elevation of the deposits agree with the

calibrated Radio Carbon dates and landforms from Qatar, Saudi

Arabia and the southwest coast of Bahrain”. Similar transgres-

sions and regression in the Holocene can be postulated in the Gulf

of Kutch resulting in the submergence of Dwaraka, Bet Dwaraka,

Pindara and other stations. The regression in the beginning of the

2nd millennium B.C. must have brought back the population that

had left after the first transgression. This is clearly reflected in the

epic which says that Kusasthali was founded by Raivata, a Yadava

ancestor of Sri Krishna and that it was destroyed. After its

destruction Dwaraka was built when the sea yielded 12 yojanas of

land, which is a reference to the regression of the sea. The second

transgression, which submerged Dwaraka and Shankhodhara (Bet

Dwaraka) Mahabharata period (1500 B.C.) seems to be of longer

duration and greater intensity, as indicated by the absence of sites

of 1000-300 B.C. on the coastal belt of Okha-Dwaraka. The sea

receded once again and townships sprang up on the coast in the 3rd

century B.C. The submergence of a Buddhist settlement in the

Elephanta island off Bombay is an indication of the rise in the sea

level or subsidence of land in the early historical period. Similar

transgression is noticeable in the early centuries of the Christian

era at Kaveripatnam, Kalingapatnam and Nagapatnam on the east

coast.

The MAC undertook underwater exploration of Somnath —

Prabhas on the southwest coast of Saurashtra in 1991-92 and

found several massive dressed, semispherical dressed stone ob-

jects with large holes in 5 to 7m water depth of the sea. The date of

those objects and other large building blocks of stone is yet to be

ascertained. Another season of underwater exploration in Dwar-

aka-Somnath will clinch the issue — whether sea level rise or sub-

sidence of land was responsible for the submergence of Dwaraka

and Somnath simultaneously or in different periods.

Other sites under exploration by the MAC are Tranquebar and

Poompuhar (Kavaeripatnam) on the Tamil Nadu coast. Poompuhar

was a 3rd century B.C. port of early Chola period at the mouth of the

river Kaveri and its submergence by the sea is referred to in the

Tamil texts

Silappadikaram

and

Pattinappalai.

Exploration by the

MAC during 1987-88 and 1990-92 brought to light brick structures

of 1st to 5th cent A.D. in 3 to 5m in water depth and a wreck of a

large ship of 18th century in 19 m depth. Some of the lead ingots

carried by the vessel have been recovered. The visibility in 5m

depth being poor brick structures have not been photographed.

(Dr. S.R.R.)

The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972

(Act No. 52 of 1972)

(As modified upto April 1, 1975)

Salient Points

Act enacted having regard to the following factors, namely :

the necessity for conserving the objects of art;

ii)

the need to preserve such objects within India for the better

appreciation of the cultural heritage of India;

iii) such other factors as will, or are likely to, contribute to the

safeguarding of the cultural heritage of India.

Every person who owns, controls or is in possession of any antiq-

uity specified in the notification issued under sub-section 1 shall

in the case of a person who owns, controls or possesses such

antiquity on the date of issue of such notification, within three

months of such date; and

in the case of any other person, with fifteen days of the date on

which he comes into ownership, control or possessions of such

antiquity,

and obtain a certificate in token of such registration.

Extent:

the whole of India.

Definitions

; 'antiquity' includes

any coin, sculpture, painting, epigraph or other work of art or

craftsmanship;

ii)

any article, object or thing detached from a building or cave;

iii)

any article, object or thing illustrative to science, art, crafts,

literature, religion, customs, morals or politics in bygone ages;

iv)

any article, object or thing declared by the Central Govern-

ment, by notification in the Official Gazette, to be an antiquite

for the purposes of the Act, which has been in existence for not

less than one hundred years; and

Regulation of export trade in antiguities and art treas-

ures

It shall not be lawful for any person, other than the Central

Government or any authority or agency authorized by the Central

Government in this behalf, to export any antiquity or art treasure.

Grant of licence

On receipt of an application for the grant of a licence under

section 7, the licensing officer may, after holding such inquiry

as he deems fit, grant a licence to the applicant having regard

to the following factors namely :

the experience of the applicant with respect to trade in antiqui-

ties;

the village, town or city where the applicant intends to carry on

business;