Have you ever wondered how old our Bengali civilization is? Where did our ancestors lead the first cornerstone of their cities? The answer is buried under the mounds of a shamelessly neglected archeological site at the bank of Ajay, in Panduk village of Bardhaman. The site, locally known as Pandu Rajar Dhibi, holds the history of a chalcolithic civilization contemporary to late Harappa period. Renowned archeologist Paresh Chandra Dasgupta conducted the excavation here 5 times from 1962 to 1973, unearthing civilizations of different time periods ranging from 1900 BC to 11th century AD.
This excavation proved that our civilization is at least 4000 years old. From the chalcolithic layer, Dr Dasgupta discovered red-black earthen pots, weapons of copper and bronze, numerous idols of the Mother goddess, and pots with mystic structures drawn inside, all bearing striking similarities with Harappan civilization. His team also unearthed urn burials and secondary burials; a very interesting ritual followed at that time. Some researchers indicate that this ritual later flourished into the concept of satipeeths in tantra and stupas in Buddhism. The excavation also revealed the widespread use of silk cotton in the clothes of the inhabitants of the chalcolithic civilization. Their main food was rice and fish, just like us today. They had a trading network extending up to Crete.
In spite of being such an important archeological site, Pandu Rajar Dhibi never got the attention it deserved. When people throughout the world gather in Mohen-jo-daro, Kalibangan, and Lothal; mounds of Panduk village remain in the same darkness it has known since the 5th excavation. The skeletal remains discovered could have opened the world of archaeogenetic research regarding our origin. The extraordinary drainage system of this first city of Bengal could have made scholars all over the world speechless. But neither central nor state archeological departments have given any attention to this site. Shouldn’t we preserve our invaluable past? Let’s face the question as a nation.
By Raktim Mukherjee
