Archaeologists unearth 2500-yr-old city in Orissa

HISTORY BEHIND: Sisupalgarh was once a thriving metropolis, with a population of over 25,000.

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Bhubaneswar: Archaeologists have made interesting findings at an ancient city Sisupalgarh in Orissa, which is more than 2500 yrs old. They believe it is older and bigger than even Athens in Greece.

Situated on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Sisupalgarh was once a thriving metropolis, with a population of over 25,000. That makes it even larger than the biggest city of classical Greece, Athens.

University of California Head archeologist Dr Monica L Smith says, “These cities from a very early time about the third or fourth century BC were very densely populated and urban in every sense of the word.”

Even though Sisupalgarh was discovered in 1948, it wasn’t until three years ago that excavations started here.

A team of archeologists from Deccan College in Pune, University of California and Archeological Survey of India (ASI) are manning the digs.

Deccan College Head Archeologist Dr R K Mohanty says, “What we have excavated is a very small area of the site. Each area has given a different perspective and architecture.”

A large variety of pottery discovered, show the high quality of life in the city. Excavations reveal the city was well planned with eight gateways.

There was a large monument for public gatherings. The whole city was surrounded by large defensive walls.

Archeologists believe that it is because of the excellent architectural skills; the pillars could stand for so many years.

But so far only a small portion of the huge site has been excavated.

Researchers have to depend largely on foreign funding for the excavation as the government has not yet stepped in to help.