An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c44.129

v2.c44.129

A renewed excavation in New Rājagṛha was undertaken by R. Singh of the ASI (*IAR 1961-2*, p. 7; *1962-3*, p. 5), when a trench 66 m long and over 5 m wide, was laid across the s. defences near the s.-w. bastions. Carried down to a depth of 18 m below the extant top of the defences, the excavation has revealed three Pds with subdivisions in the latter two. The lowest is essentially non-occupational with only rare shapeless red-ware sherds; its top however has stone foundations and ashy deposits, with the NBPW and associated red ware, some pieces with black-painted linear designs, terracotta human figurines, a hoard of 14 punch-marked coins and fragment of a steatite amulet [12.1] with three circles each enclosing three symbols and three vertical lines on the reverse. The mud rampart of Pd II A rests over a deposit of burnt material which caused the destruction of Pd I. Built over a basal deposit of yellowish-brown mud the main core of the rampart has an extant height of 7·31 m retained on the s. side by a battered brick wall. The base of the rampart is available to a width of 40·53 m but on the n. side it is less. There is a moat on the outer side. The pottery in the core of the rampart is the same as in Pd I. In Pd II B a brick fortification was raised on the extant top of the mud rampart.