Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c11.s2.t1.8

c11.s2.t1.8

With the notice of the above feature, the original fort could be traced on both the sides of the entrence. By the close examination of the eastern wing of the fort from the entrance at the points wherever possible upto the entrance in the north of the fort wall, the fort wall is found to be exclusively of brick and mud construction and is of the early historical period. Now, the section of the fortwall from that point westwards and southwards has wider width, i.e. 45 (m). Thus it is 15 m wider than the opposite section (Fig.9). Further, the central core from the bottom level to a small height 3 m is of brick construction suggesting that it is the original part of the fort. From above the brick construction is the laterite structural wall again to a height of 5 m and again from the top course of the laterite wall rises the mud wall. The total height of the fort is about 30 m i.e. 10 m higher than the opposite wing of the fort. At the edge of the original brick construction on both the sides are the vertical retaining wall of cut stones and on the exterior of the walls on each side is the mud ramp which meets the clay part of the fort, making rather indistinct angles. Thus the slope on the both sides is not even. All these distinctive variables namely use of the laterite block, construction method, depressed slope on the sides and larger measurements indicate that original wall of the bricks evidently of early historical period, had been reinforced probably during the early Kadamba period.