Terracotta Sealings
About a dozen of circular terracotta sealings, measuring about 5 cm in diameter, with the usual Buddhist creed had been recovered from the site. These were intact and Buddhist creed in the periphery.
Votive Clay Stupas
Among the four terracotta votive clay stupas recovered from the site one was salvaged from the verandah area of the south-east corner of the monastery, two from the adjacent courtyard and one near the eastern exterior wall of the monastery. These were intact and their height ranged from 3.75 to 5 cm.
Ornamental Bricks
A large number of ornamental bricks were found from different areas of the site, specially from the shrine area. They depict various designs such as half-found edge and thinned edge, stepped pyramid, flower motif, lotus petal, dental ,motif, indented and saw, loop, zigzag, geometric-cum floral design, billet and rope design. The lotus petal and stepped pyramid patterns were most common not only in Ananda Vihara and other sites of Mainamati but also in Bahsu Bihar, Paharpur and other Buddhist sites. The ornamental bricks were used with the terracotta plaques for decorating the exterior wall of the shrine. In the central shrine a large number of these bricks were found in situ in the basement of the exterior wall of the eastern and western arms of the shrine. When the shrine collapsed a huge number of ornamental bricks also were detached from the building and were haphazardly strewn on the adjacent areas. A large number of these bricks were discovered from the heaps close to the shrine area during excavations.
Inscribed Ornamental Brick
Among the salvaged antiquities, an inscribed ornamental brick deserved special mention. It contained three/four lines of inscription of proto-Bengali character on one side with lotus petal design in the face. It had been pocked up loose from the fallen debris of layer (3); square E-V/6, at the south-east corner of the central shrine. The brick measured 28×25×5 cm .The inscription is yet to be deciphered.
Stone Beads
A few semi-precious stone beads of agate, cornelian, quartz etc. were recovered from the site. They were disc, cylindrical, elongated and spherical in shape. Most of them were collected from the shrine area. Besides, a few glass beads also were discovered.
Iron Objects
A number of iron objects were collected from the site including a few iron nails, one iron knife, one iron blade, one iron hinge, one iron cutter, one iron hook with two chain links etc. Most of these were rusted, decayed and broken.
Miscellaneous Objects
The miscellaneous objects recovered from the site included terracotta beads, balls, discs, toys, dabbers, grinding stones, stone pestles, pieces of laterite, lime stone, fossil wood, charcoals, burnt rice, chalk pieces, bricks with foot print of man and animal, terracotta weight, copper wire, animal teeth (of a horse of a mule), etc.
Pottery
In course of digging a large quantity of potsherds were recovered from the site. Complete wares were a few. These were medium sized pots, lids and saucers. The shreds were composed of all sorts of texture i. e.. thin, medium and thick. Medium textured shreds were dominant followed by thin and thick textured wares respectively. These shreds varied in colour from redish, pale redish, grey and blackish. These sherds were of cooking pots, pans, vases, bowls, tumblers, jars, pitchers, lids, saucers, oil lamps, stands, sprinklers and various other household objects of everyday use.
A good number of sherds bear decorated designs such as square, rope and net impression, incised grid pattern and herring-bone design. Square and herring bone design were common whereas rope impression was rare.
Chronology
A large number of cultural materials including structural remains had been discovered from the site. But no epigraphic record could be salvaged from here in excavation. In the absence of dateable evidence it is difficult to establish any absolute chronology of this site. Moreover, the site has not yet been fully exposed. The cultural material from its lowest level is negligible. However, on the basis of the iconographic parallels, and the themes reflected in the plastic art and their style and manufacturing technique, a relative chronology of the site can be drawn. The site might have been built in the 7th century and was in use upto 13th century A.D.
Discovery Of Pottery Kilns
It is interesting to note that 5 pottery kilns were accidentally discovered in 1977 on the open field just outside the southern wing of the monastery towards its south-east corner. Here a large hockey ground had been prepared for the soldiers by removing earth to a depth of about 0.75 m to 1.25 m about a year back (1976). While removing earth a number of old pottery kilns were exposed. These might have existed in larger area in the unexcavated higher ground in the west. In order to examine their nature one kiln was cleared inside upto the depth of about 1 m and it was found that the kilns was full of complete and semi-complete earthen wares of various shapes and sizes similar to the pottery recovered from excavation at Ananda Vihara. Since the wares were fully fired it is presumed that the potters perhaps kept them in the kiln for the time being of did not get time to take them out. Because of incessant rains it was not possible to expose the kiln fully and recover all the objects found inside. However, about a dozen of large and medium sized pots, a number of small wares, vases, saucers, cups, lids with semi-complete pots and large body fragments of some other earthen wares were collected from the kiln.
These pots were found completely filled with earth. But because of their thin body and weak fabric and also long association with earth they were very much decayed and cracks were developed on their bodies. So in curse of recovery and during cleaning almost all of them had been broken into pieces. Only a few could be restored.
The discovery of these pottery kilns close to the archaeololgical site like Ananda Vihara is significant for it is the first of its kind in the country. Until this discovery no other pottery kiln has been reported from any site in Bangladesh. So this unique discovery is the only unmistakable evidence for pottery manufacturing centre of ancient ‘samatata’. Other sited like Rupban Kanya Mura, “Bhojrajar Bari, and “Itakhola Mura and ‘Rupban mura’ are not very far form this kiln The possibility of supplying the earthen wares from this factory to these archaeological sited cannot be ruled out.
Discussion
The excavation had revealed the remains of a square monastery measuring 190.5×190.5 m arranged around a central cruciform shrine. The monastery showed two phase of building activity. But only one phase had been unveiled in the temple complex excepting a floor which appeared to be related to its earlier phase. No other remains of the earlier phase had been evident in this shrine area. Science the excavation in this area had been carried out in a limited area further digging is required to expose the architrectural remains related to this floor and more particularly the earlier phase.
We have already noted that no floor could be traced in the first phase cells of the monastery. But exposure of a number of floors in the verandah of the first phase clearly indicated that the monastery was undoubtedly in use during this phase. That means there were floors in the cell contemporary to those of the verandah. Most probably during the construction of the second phase wall in the middle of the first phase cell the upper floors (s) had been destroyed. Since digging could not be carried down further deep in the first phase cell due to the existence of second phase wall, we were not sure how many floor were there. It needs further digging in the first phase cell by cutting through some portions of front wall to the second phase cell. Here it is worthnoting that the construction and reconstruction of such ancient building was not an unusual phenomenon. Rather it was very common in all the ancient establishments. For instance, the similar feature was noticed at Salban Vihara (Khan 1693). Rupban Mura (Alsm M.S. et al. n.d.), Itakhola Vihara (Rahman 1998) in Mainamati, Paharpur Mahavihara in Naogon ( Dikshit 1934), Bhasu Bihar (Ahmed 1979) and Bihar (Alam M.S, 1990) in Bogra. The builders either changed the original layout of the monastery (Rupban Mura), or without changing the external layout they shifted the alignment of cell either backward (4th phase in Salban vihara) (Khan 1963) or side way (Paharpur) (Alam M.S.n.d.).
The unique chance discovery of pottery kilns behind the monastery had largely added the importance of the site. It is reported that only 5 kilns were discovered and there might have been more, which could not be discovered due to time constrain. Similar types wares found in the kiln as well as in the site indicated that these kilns were the sources of the pottery used in ‘Ananda Vihara’. It is likely that the potters manufactured their wares here and supplied those to other neighboring sited also like ‘Bhoj Vihara’, ‘Itakhola Mura’ and ‘Rupban Mura’. This conjecture is supported by the discovery of similar types of earthen wares from those sites. But it does not exclude the possibility of existence of more pottery kilns in other sites of Mainamati. Rather it is more likely that there might have been more manufacturing centers of earthen wares near other establishments like ‘Salban Vihara’, Kotbari etc. which are yet to be discovered. Until then these kilns will remain as unique discovery in the country.
CONCLUSION
The excavation had been carried out in a very restricted area if the monastery and the shrine. Remains of large portion (more than 80%) of the total area of the vast site yet remain unexcavated. Even the digging had been mostly confined to the upper level. Only 13 monastic cells had been excavated so far. Similarly a small portion of the central shrine had been exposed to its southern half. In order to explore the earlier level of Mainamati and to ascertain the association of this monastery with the Deva dynasty, if any, we must resume the work as soon as possible.
