Scientists dig out 2,450-year-old civilization in Bangladesh

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 02, 2004

Scientists dig out 2,450-year-old civilization in Bangladesh

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A group of Bangladeshi scientists dug out an ancient road in northern Narsingdi, 50 km northeast of the capital Dhaka, suggesting 2,450-year-old civilization which redefines the history of eastern India.

A team of archaeologists of Jahangirnagar University discoveredthe 18/16-meter and 27-centimeter thick road about a month ago dating back to 450 BC.

An important trade center flourished in Narsingdi, on the bank of might river Meghna, which maintained contemporary contacts withother countries in South Asia and Roman civilization through waterways.

The excavation of the country's oldest road, a fortified citadel and a raft of artifacts dating back to 450 BC in Wari village of Belabo sub-district, about 35 km from the capital, promised to redefine the history of eastern India and embolden thetheory of the Brahmaputra civilization.

Dr. Sufi Mustafizur Rahman, associate professor of Jahangirnagar University, who led the group of archaeologists, said Friday that examination of charcoal samples from the site in 2001 by Dutch scientists also spoke of human habitation and industry in the area in 450 BC.

After finding potteries and other archaeological treasures three years ago from Wari village and Bateswar village in 2000 and2001, archaeologists suggested Buddhism dominated life in the area.

The finds of the road and a citadel fortified by bunkers in theWari village encouraged the scientists to go on with the work of discovery.

Dr. Rahman believed the citadel formed the eastern limit of Mauryan Empire.

"I think the citadel ran very organized administrative activities with business activities around it," he said.

"Discovery of the road will revolutionize the early archaeology of eastern India as whole since no road was found in the Trans-Ganetic valley earlier,"said Dr. Dilip Kumar Chakravarti, who teaches archaeology at Cambridge University.

The finds dwarf Bangladesh's ancient hubs of Pundarabardhan inBogra's Mahastangarh that dates back to 370 BC, the Buddhist seatof learning in Paharpur, Comilla, 60 miles east of Dhaka, of the 8th century and Buddhist center of Mainamoti that flourished between 7th and 12th century.

Source:Xinhua

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