New Delhi:
After nearly a month of unsuccessful gold hunt, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will take a decision in a day or two on whether to pull out or continue with the excavation in UP's Unnao district.
"We have found some artefacts of archaeological importance from the excavation pits, but we are yet to find anything valuable. We would be deciding in a day or two whether to carry on excavation or stop it," ASI Director General Pravin Srivastava told.
A 12-member team of ASI had started digging for treasure beneath a 19th century fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Unnao's Daundia Kheda village on October 18, after a seer said a former king appeared to him in a dream and told him that 1,000 tonnes of gold lay buried in its ruins.
After excavation at two places, the ASI has not yet found any trace of gold, but discovered antiquities like glass bangles, iron nails, hopscotch (game), fragmentary miniature stone figure of lion and terracotta arecanut-shaped beads dating back to first century BC, 7 AD, 17th and 19th century AD.
The archaeologists hit the soil in the first trench after excavating to a depth of 4.8 metres, which indicates there was nothing underneath.
With no success yet in the second trench 'XA2', they are now expecting to reach the same conclusion there as well.
The excavation was done in consultation with officials of Geological Survey of India.
