Fresh round of excavation to begin at Delhi’s Purana Quila

One of Delhi’s landmark monuments – the 16th Century Purana Quila – will soon see a fresh round of excavation. This round of digging is taking place after four years.

In earlier excavations it has come to light that there was continuous habitation of 2,500 years in Purana Quila and it was identified as the ancient settlement of Indraprastha.

The digging will be led by Vasant Swarnkar, Director (Conservation), Archaeological Survey of India and it will be the third season of excavation under him at Purana Qila. The excavation expedition that took place in 2013-14 and 2017-18 were also led by him.

In this round, the aim is to expose and preserve the trenches that have been dug in earlier expeditions. During the earlier excavation, evidence of layers predating the Mauryan period had been discovered. “During this season’s excavation, the focus would also be to accomplish the traces of Painted Grey Ware finding in stratigraphical context,” an ASI official told the media.

The artefacts recovered in the past include painted grey ware belonging to 900 BC, an earthen pottery sequence from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanates and Mughal periods. Other objects found include terracotta toys and figurines, sickles, beads, kiln-burnt bricks, and seals. These are displayed at the Archaeological Museum located inside the fort complex.

The Quila was built by Sher Shah Suri and the second Mughal emperor Humayun.