First published: 25/02/09.

Solivagant

Cultural Landscape Of Mahasthan And Karatoya River

Cultural Landscape of Mahasthan and Karatoya River (On tentative list)

Cultural Landscape of Mahasthan and Karatoya River by Solivagant

There is no doubting the archaeological significance of this site – the “earliest urban site” so far discovered in Bangladesh dating back to the 3rd century BC. Its setting is wonderfully rural, a few miles outside the busy town of Bogra. There is not a great deal “above ground” to see but you can spend a pleasant hour or so wondering along the ramparts which form a square of over a kilometer in each direction (photo). The area “inside” the square is given over to agriculture (as is every square inch of land in Bangladesh!) and there was nothing obvious to see there. At the entrance there is a bluff above a river with the brick foundations of various buildings ( It is thought that the site was chosen as being one of the highest points in central Bengal – all of 35meters above sea level whilst Dhaka is a mere 6!). Beyond that all we could see was a nearby museum set in a pretty rose garden and containing a few carvings outside and in! I was disappointed however to see, in the Wiki article about the site, a photo of a large and seemingly “interesting” mound - which we hadn’t seen at the site (The article indicates that there are number of “mounds” spread in a 9km area around the citadel)!! I am rather annoyed that we missed it - but we won’t be going back to pick it up.

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