Department of Archaeology to conduct geophysical survey in Panchkhal

KATHMANDU: The Department of Archaeology (DoA) is to conduct a geophysical survey in Panchkhal town area next month.

The DoA is preparing to conduct the survey after study and research indicated to the possibility of finding ancient heritages in the area.

A study and excavation conducted in Panchkhal area around two years back discovered artifacts and remnants of monuments dating back to the ancient and medieval period.

DoA Director General Damodar Gautam said they are conducting a geophysical survey in Panchkhal area in February. “We are going to do the geophysical survey to find out the subterranean physical features at the site in the first phase,” he said.
According to him, the Department is making preparation for managing the human resources and financial aspects for carrying out geophysical survey at Panchkhal in Kavrepalanchok and Janakpur around the first week of February.

Gautam shared that geophysical survey has been deemed appropriate for now as the artifacts were discovered both in private and public properties in Panchkhal municipality.

“There are possibilities of finding archaeological heritages in Panchkhal and the survey has to be carried out in a planned manner as the technology is expensive,” he said.

The geophysical survey is being done to find out the subterranean heritages in the area within Temalkot, Buchakot, Methinkot, Nagarkot, Kavrekot, Sulikot, Anekot, Sallekot and Bhamarkot in Kavrepalanchok.

A report prepared by DoA officer Bishnu Prasad Pathak and senior archaeologist Uddhav Acharya who were involved in carrying out excavation in Panchkhal area confirmed that the artifacts and a column that were found in the area date back to the Lichchhavi era and the medieval era.

Similarly, the report confirmed that the remnants of a wall of ancient palace, bricks with 22 centimetres width and other artifacts found in the paddy fields belonging to various individuals at Maltar of Panchkhal Municipality-2 also date back to the Lichchhavi era and the medieval era. (RSS)