Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 280

264
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ SEPTEMBER, 1923
Varendra Research Society of Rajshahi and the after, and that the graves of Englishmen who have Kamarûpa Anusandhan Samiti of Gauhati, both died in, for them, lonely spots are now so carefully of which are highly commended in the Report. 'supervised. the format having established a good Muscum. There are two notes that have specially attracted
R. C. TEMPLE iny attention. On p. 5 we read that the Govern. ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: Archeological Sur
ment of India has clecided to treat Archaeology as vey, Northern Circle (Hindu and Buddhist
a. Central or Reserved subject" under the Imperial Monuments), 1920-1921. Lahore, Civil and
Government, and to undertake all the responsi. Military Gazette Press, 1922.
bility for administrative and conservation expenses This is an interesting and valuable Report,
hitherto placed upon Local Governments. This especially as regards the excavations at Harappa,
is one result of the Reforms Scheme." Let us where the invaluable ruins have so long been
hope, with the writer of the Report, that the grant subjected to quite modern vandalism, and that to
for conservation will ceage to be "seriously inadean extent which is worth quoting from the
quate to meet the many urgent demands on it." Report (p. 8): "The ruins have been subjected
The other observation of the Report is worth to continued exploitation for bricks by thought.
quoting in full. On p. 1 it says: less Railway contractors and villagers. Already,
"With the appointment of a limited number of before General Cunningham's visit in 1873, the
trained conservation assistants to the staff of the site had furnished brick ballast for more than
Archeological Department, and with the aid of a 100 miles of the Lahore and Multan Railway
comprehensive Manual of Conservation now under line. These depredatione have, if anything, been
preparation by the Director-General of Archæology, carried on even more vigorously since General it is hoped that it will be possible to record consider Cunningham's time, and it is patent that the town able and progressive improvement in this direction of Harappa has been built and rebuilt many times in future years. The difficulty at present experi. over with bricks obtained from this site." This enced is to impress sufficiently on the understanding has happily ceased at last with the establishment of Public Works Department subordinates the ne. of a standard modern brick kiln in the neighbour. cessity of subordinating the effect of a repair to the hood. I may here say that during a hurried visit appearance of the old weathered fabric in which to the spot in 1878 many interesting sunken
it is being executed, their instinctive aim in many foundations and buildings were still extant, clearly
cases being apparently to advertise, either by widely showing the form that the ancient houses took. spread pointing or patches of incongruous pink Despite the depredations, the Archaeological plaster, the extent of their activities on its behalf Department secured 411 ancient objects from Counterfeited antiquity, as such, can never be con three trenches dug in January 1921.
doned, as it is indeed superfluous to remark; but The most interesting note (p. 11) is on "two
there is a great deal of difference between this and seals [found at Harappa) in an unknown script,"
the effective assimilation of, for instance, & patch of illustrated on plate IX. As to these seals Mr.
simple underpinning in rough rubble masonry with Daya Ram Sahni, the Reporter, writes: "Several
the undermined old structure it is intended to scholars have dealt with the seals deposited in
sustain; or the recessing of mortar jointing behind the London (British) Museum, but evidently no
the face of the old stones to leave their naturally satisfactory interpretation of the Legends has as
weathered arises quite clear and defined, colour. yet been obtained. The excavations being (now
staining such mortar in the mixing to conform to described have so far failed to supply any aid in
the old tone; or again in similarly treating the the solution of the problem. Further particulare
mortar-infilling in a crack of a dome, rather than of these documents will be published in the special
leave it shamelessly to invite comparison with the article on these excavations." It may help Mr.
trailing depredations of whito ants. Daya Ram Sahni to say that illustrated articles,
"Such items, it is at once admitted, are minor respectively by Mr. Longworth Dames and Mr. in themselves, but are very far from minor in their K, P. Jayaswal, appeared in this Journal, vol.
disastrous effect on an ancient fabric, whose age. XV, p. 1, and vol. XLII, p. 203, on the Harappa worn beauty and mellowed charm it is the incidental Seals.
aim of this department to conserve without undue
R. C. TEMPLE. and unnecessary advertisement of the process." ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT: Archaeological Survey On p. 13 the writer brings home this view with the of India, Northern Circle (Muhammadan and following remark: British Monuments), 1921. By A. J. PAGE, "At Attock, work on the conservation of the Superintendent, Allahabad, Government Press, Begamki-Sarai, one of the old Mughal caravan. 1922
sarais that marked the badshahi highway from the This is a very modest report on a great deal of Indus across to Bengal, was taken in hand and work well done, and it is satisfactory to know that Re. 3,040 spent on the repair, which consisted
to clasees of monuments are being well looked principally in underpinning the undermined