Bengaluru :

A team of archaeologists recently discovered a 10-ft thick and100-ft deep masonry wall in Mysuru district, which dates back to the 5th century.

The wall, excavated in Talakadu, a desert-like town on the left bank of Cauvery river and located about 45km from Mysuru, was built to save the then settlement from floods, according to experts.

Archaeologist MS Krishna Murthy, who spearheaded the excavation work, said some portions of the wall still stand strong indicating the level of expertise of ancient engineers. “We have excavated the wall up to a length of 15ft. But evidence from the site shows the wall was once 1-km long. It is the largest masonry wall in South India. Historical and archaeological analysis shows it stood strong for at least 1,000 years from the 5th to 15th century,” he said

Murthy, who has conducted extensive excavation work in Talakadu since 1992, made this revelation as spoke on ‘New archaeological discoveries at Talakadu, Karnataka’, at an event organised by the southern regional centre of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
The expert said the outer side of the wall bears signs of corrosion, which can be attributed to the continuous presence of river water. “The wall is even more significant as it is mostly built of bricks, clay and mortar as stones were not available in large quantities in the region. It has three layers and an interesting design, which indicates how skilled the people were during that era.It may have been built during the regime of Kiriya Madhava, a ruler from the Ganga dynasty,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mysore New / TNN / My 23rd, 2018