Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Remains of an early human settlement at Silula Village of Pipli block of Puri was claimed by a team of archaeologists of Utkal University’s Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology department.
As per the Hindustan Times report, over 200 pieces of broken pottery which includes one having a craving of three elephants in a row besides tortoiseshells have been found from a mound. During the excavation, these remains were found from a mound on the premises of Jageswari Temple near Gupiapokhari of the village.
The report further elaborates that the quarrying was done on the mound that stands around five meters from the ground level and also measures around 220 meters in diameter and 130 meters in breadth. The site is eight Kilometres from Sisupalgarh which is from the Mauryan period, four Kilometres from Dhauli which is from the Ashokan period, and 3.5 Kilometre from the Suabarei site which is from Neolithic-Chalcolithic in Puri.
Dr. Anam Behera who is the Assistant Professor of the Department stated regarding the found remains that the material shreds of evidence which are found from the spot look like that they may be very old, unlike Sisupalgarh. But he also informed that the precise age of the settlement can only be obtained after further examination. Red, gray, gray-black pottery ware has been found with engraved impressions.
Dr. Behera further added that the material evidence was found after digging four feet below a channel on the mound and the unique perspective of the findings is that the craving of a row of elephants on pottery has been witnessed for the first time.
Image Source – Google
