Excavations – Important – Delhi
Lal-Kot (28°32′; 77°11′), Delhi
An irregular fort enclosure within which the famous Qutub-Minar stands.It is reputed to have been built by a Tomara Anangapala, possibly to be identified with Anangapala II, who figures in certain dyriastic lists and whose name with samvat 1100 (A.D. 1052) is inscribed on the iron pillar of Chandra. Its extension on the n. and w. bounded again by massive stone walls, is known as Qila Rai Pithora and is ascribed to the Chauhana king Prithviraja III, also known as Rai Pithora, who was defeated by Muhammad Ghuri. The two enclosures together have long been known as the first city of Delhi of early medieval times. Some points along the LaI-Kot walls and inside it were probed in 1957-8 and 1958-9 by Y.D. Sharma, ASI in order to examine the reasons behind the obvious structural differences between the w. and e. flanks of the LaI-Kot rampart walls. and also to ascertain if the pre-Sultanate occupational levels could be distinguished from the Sultanate ones.
A small trench to the s. of the Qutub-Minar has indicated that this was the residential part of Lal-Kot, at least in Sultanate times, for on either side of a 1.52 m wide street here flanked portions of houses. Drains from these houses join an open lime-plastered gutter running in the middle of the street, which show several road levels.
The pottery from these excavations can be divided into two phases. From the lower levels come plain red wares, sometimes slipped, the main types of which correspond generally with those of the topmost stratum of Ahicchatra, c. 850-1100. From the middle depth of the upper levels come glazed ware and associated black-slipped grey ware. The two phases are separated here by a deposit of ash and earth mixed with debris.
Purana Quila (28°38′; 77°12′), Delhi
The ‘Old Fort’ on the Yamuna in New Delhi, off Delhi-Mathura-Agra road, built by Humayun and with standing monuments built by Sher Shah, situated on a mound on which stood the village Inderpat till the beginning of this century, identified with Indraprastha, the headquarters of the Pandavas of Mahabharata fame. It was explored by Cunningham and later on by others. An inscription of Bhoja of the Pratihara dynasty (c. 836-85) was found here in 1913-4. In a trial excavation of 1954-5 conducted by B.B. Lal of the ASI sherds of the PGW and NBPW and remains of the Sunga Kushan periods were found. Between 1969-70 and 1972-3 the ASI conducted large-scale excavations here revealing remains of eight. Periods, -though neither the PGW nor anything associated with it was found: Period I, Mauryan (4th -3rd century B.C.); Period II, Sunga (2nd -1st century B.C.; Period III, Saka-Kushan (1st -3rd century AD.); Period IV, Gupta (4th -6th century); Period V, post-Gupta (7th -9th century); Period VI, Rajput (10th – 12th century); Period VII, Sultanate (13th -15th century); and Period VIII, Mughal (16th -19th century).
Delhi Lal Kot (Dheli 28°32′; 77°11′) ni ngome ya kifalme iliyojengwa na Tomara Anangapala, ambaye jina lake limeandikwa kwenye nguzo ya Chandra. Mji huo uliokuwa na kuta kubwa za mawe unaitwa Qila Rai Pithora na unatajwa kuwa uliomilikiwa na mfalme wa Chauhana Prithviraja III, ambaye pia aliitwa Rai Pithora. Kwa muda mrefu, maeneo hayo mawili yamejulikana kuwa jiji la kwanza la Delhi katika nyakati za mapema za enzi za kati. Sehemu fulani za kuta za Lailkot na ndani yake zilipigwa uchunguzi mwaka wa 1957-58 na 1958-59 na Y.D. Sharma, ASI ili kuchunguza sababu za tofauti za kiundani kati ya upande wa magharibi na upande wa mashariki wa kuta za LaI-Kot. Na pia kuhakikisha kama ngazi za kazi za kabla ya Sultani zinaweza kutofautishwa na zile za Sultani. Mlipuko mdogo uliochimbuliwa upande wa kusini wa Qutub-Minar umeonyesha kwamba hii ilikuwa sehemu ya makazi ya Lal-Kot, angalau katika nyakati za Sultani, kwa sababu pande zote mbili za barabara yenye upana wa mita 1.52 hapa zilikuwa na sehemu za nyumba. Matofali ya maji kutoka nyumba hizo huungana na mfereji uliofunikwa kwa chokaa unaoendeshwa katikati ya barabara, ambao huonyesha ngazi kadhaa za barabara. Vyombo vya udongo vilivyopatikana katika uchimbuaji huo vinaweza kugawanywa katika vipindi viwili. Katika sehemu za chini za ardhi, kuna bidhaa nyekundu za kawaida, ambazo nyakati nyingine huanguka, na aina zake kuu kwa ujumla zinalingana na zile za tabaka la juu zaidi la Ahicchathra, karibu 850-1100 KK. Kutoka kina cha kati ya ngazi za juu kuja glassed vyombo na kuhusishwa nyeusi-slipped vifaa kijivu. Sehemu hizo mbili zimetenganishwa hapa na mchanga na udongo uliochanganywa na mabaki. "Purana Quila (Purana Quila) ni ngome ya zamani iliyoko kwenye mto Yamuna, karibu na barabara ya Delhi-Mathura-Agra, iliyojengwa na Humayun na na makaburi ya kusimama yaliyojengwa na Sher Shah, iliyoko juu ya kilima ambacho kilikuwa kijiji cha Inderpat hadi mwanzo wa karne hii, inayojulikana kama ""Indraprastha,"" makao makuu ya Pandavas ya Mahabharata." Ilichunguzwa na Cunningham na baadaye na wengine. Maandishi ya Bhoja ya nasaba ya Pratihara (C. 836-85) yalipatikana hapa mwaka wa 1913-4. Katika uchunguzi wa kwanza uliofanywa mwaka 1954 na B.B. Katika eneo hilo, mabaki ya mawe ya PW na NBPW na mabaki ya kipindi cha Sunga Kushan yalitolewa. Kati ya mwaka wa 1969 na 1972 ASI ilifanya uchimbaji mkubwa hapa na kufunua mabaki ya watu wanane. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Pajani ya kwanza"" haikuwa na maana yoyote, lakini kwa sababu ya hali ya asili ya Mauri (karne ya 4 KK)." (Mwanzo wa 2 - karne ya 1 KK) Kipindi cha tatu: Saka-Kushani (mashariki ya kwanza hadi ya tatu ya karne ya XNUMX KK) Kipindi cha IV, Gupta (karne ya 4 - 6); Kipindi cha V, baada ya Gupta (karne ya 7 - 9); Kipindi cha VI, Rajput (karne ya 10 - 12); Kipindi cha VII, Sultanate (karne ya 13 - 15); na Kipindi cha VIII, Mughal (karne ya 16 - 19).