Archaeological Survey of India all set to begin Excavation at Purana Qila again

Source: The post is based on the article “Archaeological Survey of India all set to begin Excavation at Purana Qila again” published in PIB on 18th January 2023.

What is the News?

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is all set to begin  excavation at Delhi’s Purana Qila again. 

What is Purana Qila?

Purana Qila is the 16th-century fort. It was built by Sher Shah Suri and the second Mughal emperor Humayun.

The walls of the Purana Quila are made of enormous red stones having minimal ornamentation and decoration.

The major attractions inside the fort are the Qila-i-Kuhna mosque of Sher Shah Suri, Sher Mandal (a tower, which is traditionally associated with the death of Humayun), a stepwell and the remains of the extensive rampart which has three gates.

What did the earlier excavations at the site reveal about Purana Quila?

Excavations have revealed that the Purana Quila stands at the site of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas.

Purana Quila is also the only place in Delhi, which has cultural deposits of the last 2,500 years in its various layers, from the pre-Mauryan to the modern era. 

The findings and artefacts unearthed in earlier excavations comprise painted grey ware, belonging to 900BC, an earthen pottery sequence from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanates and Mughal periods.