India: ritrovato un tesoro di 3.730 monete del III e IV secolo

[ARES III]

 

Scavo nel tempio. Viene alla luce un vaso. Nel contenitore 3730 monete del III e IV secolo. E tante altre offerte rituali

 

Nel cuore del distretto di Suryapet, nello scenario dell’India meridionale, gli archeologi del Dipartimento di Archeologia hanno recentemente fatto una scoperta straordinaria nel sito buddista di Phanigiri. Un vaso di terracotta, ben conservato, è emerso dalle profondità della storia portando con sé un tesoro nascosto per secoli: 3.730 monete di piombo.

Questa sorprendente scoperta getta nuova luce sulla ricca storia della regione, in particolare sul periodo della dinastia Ikshvaku, conosciuta anche come la dinastia solare. La loro influenza si estendeva attraverso le terre dell’Andhra fino al delta dei fiumi Krishna e Godavari, con Dharanikota come fulcro del loro potere.

Le monete, risalenti al 3° e 4° secolo durante il regno della dinastia Ikshvaku, sono decorate con il simbolo dell’elefante su un lato e il simbolo di Ujjain sull’altro. Il simbolismo di Ujjain è stato oggetto di dibattito tra gli studiosi, con diverse teorie che cercano di interpretarne il significato. Alcuni suggeriscono che potrebbe rappresentare l’incrocio di quattro strade, mentre altri speculano che sia legato alla simbologia religiosa, come il Damaru di Shiva o i quattro templi del Signore Shiva con il tempio di Mahakaal al centro. Ujjain una delle sette città sacre indù dell’India.

Oltre alle monete, il sito di Phanigiri ha rivelato una varietà di altri reperti preziosi. Tra questi ci sono pietre e perle di vetro, motivi in stucco, sculture in pietra calcarea, frammenti di braccialetti di conchiglie e persino la ruota di un carretto giocattolo per bambini. Questa vasta gamma di reperti offre uno sguardo avvincente nella vita quotidiana e nelle pratiche culturali dell’antica civiltà buddista di Phanigiri. E’ probabile che in quell’antico strato fossero collocate offerte rituali.

L’importanza di questa scoperta si estende oltre i confini geografici, offrendo un tassello cruciale nel mosaico della storia antica dell’India. I ricercatori continueranno a studiare attentamente questi reperti, sperando di svelare ulteriori segreti nascosti sotto la polvere dei millenni.

https://stilearte.it/scavo-nel-tempio-viene-alla-luce-un-vaso-nel-contenitore-3730-monete-del-iii-e-iv-secolo-e-tante-altre-offerte/

[ARES III]

 

 

An earthen pot containing 3,730 lead coins from Ikshvaku period unearthed in Phanigiri, Suryapet

 

Archaeology department team found 3,730 lead coins with elephant symbol on one side and Ujjain symbol on the other side
THE HINDU BUREAU

A hoard of lead coins from Iksvaku period were unearthed by Officials of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, in Phanigiri, Suryapet, Telangana. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

Officials of the Department of Archaeology and Museums have unearthed a coin hoard at the Phanigiri Buddhist site in Suryapet district. The team led by N. Sagar, the excavation director and B. Mallu, the co-excavator, found an earthen pot with 16.7 cm in diameter and 15 cm height at a depth of two feet on March 29. Inside the pot, the team found 3,730 lead coins with elephant symbol on one side and Ujjain symbol on the other side. According to the archaeologists, the coins belong to the Ikshvaku period dated between 3rd century and 4th century Common Era.

Officials from Archaeology and Museums Department found 3,730 lead coins with elephant symbol on one side and Ujjain symbol on the other side, in Phanigiri, Suryapet district of Telangana. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

Besides the coins, the archaeologists discovered stone beads, glass beads, shell bangle fragments, stucco motifs, broken limestone sculptures, a wheel of a toy cart, final nails and pottery. The Phanigiri is an important Buddhist site that has only recently gained the importance it deserves with many of the excavated artefacts travelling the world most recently to the New York Met Museum.

The 3,730 lead coins unearthed by Archaeology and Museums Department officials, had elephant symbol on one side and Ujjain symbol on the other side. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

 

 

A hoard of lead coins from Iksvaku period were unearthed by Officials of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, in Phanigiri, Suryapet, Telangana. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

 

 

Officials from Archaeology and Museums Department found 3,730 lead coins with elephant symbol on one side and Ujjain symbol on the other side, in Phanigiri, Suryapet district of Telangana. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

The 3,730 lead coins unearthed by Archaeology and Museums Department officials, had elephant symbol on one side and Ujjain symbol on the other side. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/telangana-archaeologists-unearth-lead-coin-hoard-from-ikshvaku-period-in-phanigiri-suryapet/article68029347.ece/amp/

[ARES III]

 

Location Phanigiri

The Phanigiri village lies on the left bank of Aleru – a tributary of river Musi. The site is about 35 kms from Suryapet, in the Nalgonda district.

Votive Stupas, Phanigiri

Chaitya Grihas 1,2

General view of Mahastupas and other excavated structures, Phanigiri

Viharas, Phanigiri

Stone railing showing Jataka panels, Phanigiri

Carrying headgear of Siddhartha to heaven, Phanigiri

Losaka Jataka, Phanigiri

 

Male figure found from the site displayed at the Centenary Heritage Museum

 

The village Phanigiri seems to have derived its name from the shape of hillock located on the northern side of the village, which looks like a snake hood. (Sanskrit: Phani – snake, Giri – hillock.) Previously the village used to be known as Dharmachakrapuram.

 

This site yielded panels carved with Jataka Stories, as seen in similar sites at Amaravati, Nagarjuna konda and Goli. 

 

Preliminary excavations were conducted in the year 1941 by Khaja Mohammad Ahmad. After nearly 6 decades,  excavations restarted in the year 2001 and brought to light a Mahastupa, which may be considered as Paribhogika stupa (containing the personal belongings of Buddhist monks). Among the other structures found were apsidal Chaityagrihas, Votive Stupas, Pillared Congregation halls, Viharas, platforms with staircases and sculpted panels with Brahmi label inscriptions of the Satavahanas. Archaeologists found out two large footprints which are believed to be of Gautama Buddha’s . 

 

The coins found at the site include silver punched marked, Roman, Kshastrapa, Mahatalavara, Satavahana and Ikshavaku coins, which suggest that the  site dates back to the 1st Century B.C to 3rd Century A.D.

 

Another Buddhist site locally known as Gajulabanda, situated on the left bank of the river Aleru near Etoor village, is 3 kms away from Phanigiri on north-west. Trial excavations (A. R., A&M, Hyderabad,1978-79) here, unearthed a monastary comprised of Mahastupa, Vihara, votive stupas platforms and early historic materials. The Mahastupa (9.60 mts dia) is located on the north-western part of the hillock with ayaka platforms (1.10 x 1.75 mts) on four cardinal directions. A broken pillar-base and a square brick platform (1.65 x 1.40 mts) were also brought to light on north-west corner of thestupa. A broken pillar (1.00 mts height) with half lotus medallion intercepted by octagonal shaft is an interesting architectural member found on south-western side of the stupa. A vihara (14.30 x 7.85 mts) with a common verandah was exposed on the south-eastern side of the monastic complex. Broken upright limestone pillar stumps set in brick masonry and tiles in and around suggests that the vihara had a tiled roof supported by stone pillars and wooden rafters. Associated with the brick structures were reported a broken stone plaque depicted with srivasta, sankha and stupa, a fine sharp copper hook, stucco pieces of lotus flowers of different shapes and sizes, decorative potsherds of various designs such as stamped, linear and etched types, along with Satavahana coins datable to 1 st – 2nd Century A.D.

https://uniquelytelangana.in/ancient-structures/phanigiri/

[ARES III]

 

 

Phanigiri village lies on the left bank ofthe rivulet Aleru, a tributary ofthe river Musi. The Buddhist site is located on hill-top about 150 feet high and is about 35 kms from Suryapet and 11 Okms from Hyderabad via Bhongir and Tirumalagiri. It is just 4kms from Tirumalagiri, the Mandai Headquarters in Nalgonda District. At present, the rivulet Aleru flows 2 kms away from the habitation in north- south direction.

Etymologically, the village Phanigiri seems to have derived its name from the shape of hillock located on the northern side of the village, which looks like a snake hood. In Sanskrit, Phani means snake, Giri means hillock. The water tanks and rock cut cisterns on the hilltop and also tanks at the foot of the hillock not only served as the main water source for the inhabitants but also the rivulet Aleru or Bikkeru, which traversed nearby the monastic complex during the early centuries of Christian Era. It is one of the important Buddhist monasteries strategically located on the hill top, on ancient trade route connecting the west and the east Coast off the Deccan.

Modificato 10 Aprile, 2024 da ARES III