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‘Not treasure’, says ASI on Lakkundi discovery; Development Authority to petition for thorough review
Lakkundi was a major city between 10-12th century CE and is located in the present-day Gadag district of Karnataka.
Ramesh Mulimani, Senior Archaeologist, ASI, who visited the village Sunday, said the ornaments were unlikely to be a treasure that was buried centuries ago.
The discovery of a copper pot laden with gold ornaments at the historic village of Lakkundi in Karnataka’s Gadag district has taken a curious turn with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) dismissing speculations of it being an ancient treasure.
Around half a kg of gold ornaments, which included rings, bracelets, a bangle and other items, were found Saturday when a resident of the village was digging to construct a foundation for expanding their house. Officials from the district administration had conducted a panchnama of the ornaments and secured them in the district treasury.
Ramesh Mulimani, Senior Archaeologist, ASI, who visited the village Sunday, said the ornaments were unlikely to be a treasure that was buried centuries ago. “Many ornaments found are broken. They were found in the kitchen of the house. In the past, elders used to hide ornaments by burying them beside the kitchen,” he said, suspecting that the ornaments recovered could have been buried by the ancestors of the family residing at the house.
“We are yet to ascertain the age of the ornaments. Many are broken. If coins were found, we could have assessed to which period they belonged,” he said, adding that the ornaments did not appear that old.
This statement, however, attracted strong criticism from Siddu Patil, a member of the Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority (LHADA). “The ASI curator has made that claim without verification (of the ornaments found). Anything found under the earth is considered treasure as per the rules,” Patil told The Indian Express, claiming that the ornaments recovered could be 500-600 years old and belonged to a man.
Accusing the ASI curator of misleading the locals, he said LHADA will approach senior ASI officials to conduct a thorough investigation of the ornaments recovered.
Lakkundi was a major city between 10-12th century CE and is now a village in Gadag district. As a protected heritage site, many campaigns have been held in recent years to ensure that several artefacts and buildings over 1,000 years old are preserved.
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