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NOVEMBER, 1902.
PROGRESS OF EXCAVATIONS AT PATNA.
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441
I also cleared another terrace on the west of the Chaman Talao (flower-tank), where, in 1895, long tronches were out without apparently any definite rosalta, but the walls were not found.
VI.
The most important results were obtained from the excavations on the south bank of the Kallu Pokhra, where a portion consisting of a number of rooms or rather cells) of a vihdra or of the out-houses of the palace were brought to light. The construction was peculiar; for, as will be seen in the sketch plan on Plate I., double walls and projecting bricks at the foundation were visible. Assuming the two parallel walls on the south to be those of a drain, it did not appear to be continuous, and there were others also parallel to the cross and the northern walls. So that the drain theory cannot hold good, and I cannot yet explain them otherwise. The meaning will most probably be clearer on extending the area of excavation, which was then already about 100 X 20 X 15 feet on the average. There were three kinds of bricks - one was 1-6X0-114 X0-14'; A second was 1 - 6X0-11) XO-21'; and a third, which was on the higher portion of the walls, was smaller in every dimension than the other two. The larger of the bricks were not four-square, bat were curved like a bow, owing probably to age and to unequal pressure from the superstructure, of which the roof appeared to be gabled and tiled. Encla tile had a hole in it to hold what appeared to be a knob on that immediately below it. This kind of tiling is not prevalent in Bengal at the present day, so far as I have seen.
Midway and just below the lowest brick of the northern wall, I discovered a large but semi-circular piece of an Abbka pillar in granite, of which the surface appeared to be quite fresh and polished. Innumerable other fragments of smaller Bize were also found, though no inscribed portion was secured. The diameter of this portion of the shaft appears to be 2'4', and the existing girth (presumably half) is 3' 51". From the position of the pillar I conclade that the structure was built subsequently to the breakage of the Asôka pillar, which act of vandalism, we learn from Higen Tsiang, was performed by Raja Sasanka Deva in the 6th century A.D.
IW
Position of the Abóka pillar relic
under the foundation wall.
Finds. I secured a few coins and mary other interesting things, beads, terra cottas, &c. But unfortunately I only recorded the main results up to the 31st December 1890.
A relic from Komáhar.
(To be continued.)
