Ancient artefacts found during excavation

A gold locket and a mixed metal coin belonging to the 5th-6th century AD were found during excavations at Dantan area of West Midnapur district, police said today.
The artefacts were found yesterday morning at Mogolmari village, the site of an ancient Buddhist vihara during excavations by the state archaeology department.
The locket had little designs on it, while the coin has inscriptions in Brahmi script and the figure of a warrior on one side and that of a goddess, probably Goddess Lakshmi, on another.
The artefacts have been sent to Kolkata for further studies, police said.
Excavations were launched in the area about a decade ago at the behest of the archaeology department of Calcutta University and remains of a Buddhist vihara belonging to the 5th century AD had been found. The present excavations are continuation of the work.

Two small Buddha images belonging to the 5th-6th century AD were found from the site recently.
The vihara is believed to be the one mentioned by Chinese travellers Fa Hien and Huen Tsang in their writings. Fa Hien had visited the country during the reign of Gupta period Emperor Chandragupta Vikramaditya and stayed in Tamralipta, several kilometres away from Mogolmari. Dantan fell on the way to the ancient sea port of Tamralipta.