The Minister for Culture and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has not conducted archaeological excavation in Ballia region, Uttar Pradesh. However, Department of Ancient Indian History Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi has carried out excavation at Pakkakot, District Ballia, Uttar Pradesh during the field session 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. The Pakkakot excavation have yielded many varieties of antiquities belonging to Mauryan Period which includes beads, pendants of semi precious stones, bone points, coins, metal objects and miscellaneous terracotta objects. The most precious object recovered from pre-Mauryan level is a silver figurine of mother Goddess. The objects of Mauryan period include tiny pendants of parrot and tortoise of crystal and agate respectively; several semi-precious beads of carnelian, agate, quartz, crystal etc; and one copper punch-marked coin etc.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today she said, ASI is in agreement with the observation of the excavator on the chronological cultural sequence of the region established through the excavation.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today she said, ASI is in agreement with the observation of the excavator on the chronological cultural sequence of the region established through the excavation.