HYDERABAD: In a rare discovery which could give a new dimension to the Buddhist influence in the early history of Telangana, Satavahana- era terracotta figurines and other earthenware were found on the outskirts of Cheriyal Mandal headquarters of Siddipet district by Kolipaka Srinivas, a field researcher and member of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam.
The artefacts were found on Patigadda, an old mound, where the older Cheriyal village existed. One of the major finds was a terracotta figurine which was similar to the figurines made of bronze and terracotta found in Satavahana sites like Kondapur, Peddabonkur and Kotilingala.
The ‘mother goddess’ could be seen wearing a crown on her head, ‘kundalas’ (earrings), ornaments on her arms and a ‘mekhala’ on her waist. S Haragopal, convener, Kotha Telangana Charithra Brundam, and archaeologist E Sivanagireddy have dated it to the 2nd century BC. A small earthen disk with a bulb on both sides and a hole in the middle was also found.
As per Haragopal, it was the tool for threading wool used in ancient times. A piece of wool when put through it, twisted and spun, and yielded woollen thread, he says. A mould for melting metals like gold, silver and copper, an earthen vessel for burning Sambrani and agar incense, a wide vessel with a red coating, terracotta clay beads worn by the people of Satavahana, ‘Chanumukugottam’ (water sprinkling vessel hose), pottery with leaves design, and a pot were found during the explorations. “There was a great civilised society living in Cheriyala 2,000 years ago,” Haragopal says.