2,000-year-old walls found in Patna, Likely dates back to Kushan Age

The Archaeological Survey of India has found remnants of ancient brick walls at the site of a pond rejuvenation work in the Kumrahar area, Patna. Experts think the bricks are at least 2,000 years old.

Relics belonging to the Mauryan empire were found in the same region before.

Goutami Bhattacharya, the superintending archaeologist of ASI-Patna circle, said the stones were found when digging work was being carried out on Thursday. The spot is around 6km to the east of Patna Railway Station. She added that the ASI is rejuvenating the protected pond as part of the Centre's 'Mission Amrit Sarovar' initiative. All eleven protected water bodies in Bihar are being rejuvenated as part of the programme.

According to experts, the brick walls inside the pond are significant. Officials are analysing their archeological importance. They likely belong to the Kushan age. She added that conclusions cannot be drawn before detailed analysis.

The Kushan Empire ruled over most of northern India, present-day Afghanistan, and some parts of Central Asia from AD 30 to 375. However, the history of the population goes further back and many scholars believe the Kushans are one of the five aristocratic tribes of the Yuezhi, an ancient nomadic population. They are first recorded to be living in present-day Chinese grassland and arrived in northern Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in 135 BC.

The Greek dynasties are suspected to have resettled to southeast areas of the Hindu Kush around this time. Many scholars think Yuezhi were a people of Indo-European origin.

The population in the Kushan Empire is a mix of several cultures and is believed to have followed a diverse set of traditions including some forms of Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Greek religious ideas.

The ASI Patna circle has informed the headquarters in New Delhi about the discovery.