RAIPUR: After initial survey, archaeologists claim to have found remains of a 2,500-year-old city, buried at Tarighat in Durg district of Chhattisgarh where excavation work is to begin shortly.

Talking to TOI, J R Bhagat, deputy director, archaeology department, said, "The ancient city located 30km away from the capital was found buried in 2008 in Patan tehsil of Durg district. Its remains indicate that it was a well-planned settlement dating back to 2nd and 3rd century BC."

He said it was a chance discovery during his personal visit to Tarighat in 2008 when he found some old coins, beads , pottery items, bones and some structural features on the banks of Kharun River. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has approved excavation of the area, based on the initial findings, he said.

"After the completion of the process, I believe it would be counted among the biggest archaeological discoveries in Chhattisgarh. The coins and semi-precious stones appear to be from the Kushan and Satavahan dynasties," said Bhagat, adding that the signs of burnt structures at a few places indicate that the ancient city might have been completely destroyed in a fire.

He said the area seems to have been divided into blocks which appear like a market. "Many structures were found to be facing the main road which is clearly visible between the blocks. About six to eight rooms were found on both sides of the road," Bhagat said.

Archaeologists are conducting survey in the 10 km vicinity of Patan. "For excavation, we would have to dig about 20 feet and few patches have been marked in the region where we expect to find more precious elements," he said.

The ancient city is believed to have been rich in ceramic culture with the discovery of a large number of pottery items including vases, basins and bowls. Also, few terracotta figures of males, females and animal figurines were traced while the whole mound was found to be covered with stones.

