________________ 458 Homage to Vaisali spears and other implements of iron were picked up. From the Kushana level worthwhile antiquities included gold and silver ornaments, beads of precious stones and other terracotta objects. Besides, stone weights, beads of semi-precious stones and terracotta seals, sealings and tokens were found from different levels. The discovery of the Painted Grey Ware, although along with the N. B. P. Ware, from this Garh itself was noteworthy. Both the earthen mounds, locally known as Bhimsen ka Palla, as the result of excavations, were revealed to have been mud stupas built on the corporeal relics of some Buddhist saints certainly before the Christian era began. The relics found were preserved in copper pots. The excavations at Chakramdas revealed two cultural periods. Period I was characterised by the black-and-red ware while Period II was distinguished by the appearance of the N. B. P. Ware along with other associated antiquities. The excavation at Bania brought to light three cultural periods dating from the early phase of the N. B. P. Ware to the Gupta times. From the Gupta level were exposed the remains of a temple complex. Near the Chaturmukha Mabadeva temple at Bania a few specimens of the black-and-red ware along with the N. B. P. Ware and other associated objects were picked up. At Lalpura a single cultural deposit, represented by the N. B. P. Ware throughout, was brought to light. The Virpur excavations revealed three cultural periods distinguished by the (I) black-and-red ware, (II) N. B. P. Ware, and (III) sprinkler ware respectively and falling between 1000 B. C. and A D. 200. The operation of the Marpasauna mound revealed that it was probably a memorial stupa, built sometime between 600 B. C. and 200 B. C. The unearthed antiquities included beads of terracotta, stone * weights and earlobes in association with the N. B. P. Ware. VI. Excavations in 1976 and 19781 In 1976 and 1978 the Archaeological Survey of India (New Delhi) carried on excavations at the Kolbua Pillar site and succeeded in getting new evidence from the Kolbua Pillar. 1. This account of the latest excavations in the Vaisali area has been prepared on the basis of a note entitled "New Evidence From Kolhua Pillar' by Kalyan Priya Gupta published under
