Coins Reveal Antiquity of Chada

Hyderabad: Artefacts and inscriptions from recent heritage department findings of Chada excavations and Kodada copper plate inscriptions were displayed at Telugu University here on Monday.

The excavation at Chada in Yadadri Bhuvanagari district revealed remains dating back to the Satavahana and early Ikshvaku periods. While 436 antiquities were unearthed, 13 sculptures and stucco objects were displayed at the event.

Additionally, a hoard of nine copper plate inscriptions of the Eastern Chalukyas, which provide insights into the political history, land administration, traditions of the dynasty, and the relation between the early Kakatiyas, was also made available to participants. Coins from 16 Mahajanapadas, Ikshvaku, Vishnukundin, and 1,000 tola gold coin replicas were displayed by a numismatist, Vaikunta Chary.

The university organised the national seminar, ‘Echoes of the Past — History and Heritage Shaping Society’, to discuss various aspects of the history, culture, and heritage of Telangana and India as part of the 99-day plan proposed by the state government.

Dr Sriperumbudur Jaikishan, chairman, Bhavans New Science College, shared insights on the ancient ferrous and non-ferrous metal heritage of the state, which was not known to people before 1980. He took up the work in 2005 and surveyed about 2,800 villages in Telangana, and found evidence of iron, wootz steel, and arms production.

Jaikishan said the iron and wootz industry flourished in several parts of Telangana for an unexplored time, and that a few sites were quite ancient, with no dating tests done in this region. The Egyptian Pyramids were constructed with the help of Indian smiths, and they used only wootz, he said.

Wootz is an advanced metal of the ancient world, and is a corruption of the original word ‘Ukku’ in Telugu. It was a preferable metal for all cutlery items, and also swords, he said. This metal was important for the production of Damascus swords, which were in demand all over the world, he added.