BALLARI: In a development which can throw more light on the history of Ballari, the state’s first sarcophagus, which was discovered during the construction of Ballari Thermal Power Station (BTPS) in 2001 and shifted to Dharwad, has now been returned to the Ballari museum. The earthen sarcophagus has been restored into one piece and brought back to Ballari on October 24.
Prof Ravi Korishettar, honorary director of Archeological Pre-History Museum, Ballari, said, “There were nine pots with bones in them. The major portions of the body were in the sarcophagus, which resembled an animal,” he said. “It was found that the skeleton belonged to a seven-year-old young adult (anthropological terminology).” The sarcophagus, according to the prof Korishettar, dates back to at least 1400 BC.