Speaking Archaeologically™

SA Travel Diaries : Ashokan Inscription, Kalsi by Gauri Singh The site of Ashoka's Inscription at Kalsi Kalsi is a valley town surrounded by lesser Himalayan mountains from 3 sides and Doon plains on one side, on the confluence of River Yamuna and Tons. It lies about 60 kms from capital city of Dehradun on the road to Chakrata via Herbertpur on the h ighway of Jaunsar region, Dehradun district of state Uttarakhand. The valley is the first plain town when one descends from the Himalayas and is therefore also an economic hub of the Jaunsar-Bawar Tribal Region. Situated at an altitude of 780 meter above the sea level and on the banks of 2 rivers, the place experiences a moderate climate in summers and has scenic surroundings. The alluvial soil drained down by the rivers makes this place one of the most fertile region in the surrounding Pachwa-Doon plains. The place is especially known for The Rock Edict of the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka and is one of the most o...

Sirat Gohar is a Citizen Archaeology Member at Speaking Archaeologically When we speak of archaeological tourism, no site in Pakistan perhaps surpasses the potential that Taxila has. It attracts tourists from all walks of life, and its rich historical and cultural background makes it famous in the chronicles of history and the travelogues of foreign travellers right from the ancient times. View of Taxila city from Ban Faqiran Stupa Even today, the whole valley is dotted with the signs of the past. Apart from the three Ancient Cities: of Bhir-mound , Sirkap and Sirsukh , Taxila has also been the religious epicentre of the Indian subcontinent, housing ruins of Hindu Temples, Islamic places of worship and Buddhist monasteries. Of these, the Buddhist monasteries can easily be called the oldest, dating back to the second century CE, synchronous with the reign of Kanishka. More than twenty Stupas and Monastic buildings of Kushan period have been excavated so far in Taxil...

You know what is the good part about being an anthropology student? You can indulge yourself in a surprising array of fields without actually deviating from the main discipline. So while I was out there in the little town of Junga, doing an internship in forensics I did not let my archaeological outlook subside and went to this chief attraction of the town- The Old Junga Palace, what the locals addressed as “Purana Mahal”.  Frontage of the Old Junga Palace What I expected to be a significant monument with huge stone walls actually turned out to be an ancient half-wooden palace falling into gentle ruins. Before getting into the very details of  how the palace looks like? Who ruled the place? etc.., it is first important for the readers to understand that this blog only intends to blow the dust off of the history of the locale and introduce this badly conserved site to the inquisitive minds of explorers and researche rs.   Running through the daily routin...