An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s18.t3.18

v1.c9.s18.t3.18

TRIPURĪ situated about 12 km w. of Jabalpur, is referred to in ancient Brāhmancial, Jaina and Buddhist literature. Coins bearing the legend *Tripuri* in Brāhmī of c. 3rd century B.C. have been recovered from the village of Tewar, identified as the ancient site of Tripurī. The first systematic excavation was carried out by the Saugar Univ. in 1952-53 and subsequently, for several seasons, by the same agency in 1965 and onwards. In the earlier excavation the habitational deposits, having a thickness of about 7 to 8 m, showed a sequence of five Pds. Pd I, dated to *c.* 1000 B.C. and represented by black-on-red painted pottery and microliths, was Chalcolithic [4.14.5]. Pd II, assigned to *c.* 400 to 300 B.C., was marked by the occurrence of the NBPW, buff-slipped ware, mud-brick houses and crystal beads. The Pd III occupation, dated between 300 and 100 B.C., was evidenced by the existence of mud-brick houses, punch-marked coins [3.1] and coins of Siri Sātavāhana. Belonging to Pd IV (*c.* 100 B.C. to A.D. 200) were extensive remains of a brick-built Buddhist *vihāra* yielding a steatite casket [12.8] and pottery with Buddhist symbols. Terracottas of Āndhra-Kushan style were also found. Pd V, dated between *c.* 200 and 400, gave mica-slipped pottery, glass and shell beads, brass and iron missiles and terracotta figurines with foreign affinities. Remains of a circular temple identified as Golakī-maṭha, a seat of the Pāśupata sect, of the Kalacuri period were also unearthed.