Officials on Friday found more golden ornaments from a plot in Telangana's Jangaon district where a treasure trove was discovered by a realtor while leveling the land on Thursday. Officials from Department of Heritage visited Pembarthy village on Friday and inspected the area where a copper vessel filled with gold and silver ornaments was found. They sifted the soil from a ditch at the site and found more golden ornaments weighing 6.03 grams. The jewellery was handed over to the District Collector.
A team of officials led by Department of Heritage's Assistant Director Mallu Naik visited the site on the direction of the District Collector. They are also planning to take up digging at the site to find out if there are more ornaments.
Following the discovery on Thursday, the revenue officials cordoned off the 11 acres of land and deployed police at the site. The officials directed the realtor to stop work till further orders. After the discovery, district officials along with police had reached the spot and took the ornaments in their control under the Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878.
The pot contained 187 grams of gold ornaments and 1.727 kg of silver ornaments. According to Additional Collector A. Bhaskar Rao, the pot weighed 1.2 kg. The copper vessel with ornaments was shifted to the Treasury Office in Warangal.
The jewellery is believed to be of Kaktiya era (12-14th century A.D) but archaeology experts were examining the items recovered to know their historical significance and other details.
Realtor Mettu Narsimhulu and earthmover driver Ravi were pleasantly surprised when the earthmover hit the pot of golden and silver ornaments including earrings, anklets, necklaces, crowns, nose beads, rings, chains and more.
There was sudden excitement in the village. A large number of curious villagers gathered at the site and some of them started worship by breaking coconut and lighting incense sticks. Few of them demanded the local officials build a temple there.
Those gathered there included a woman whose four sons had sold the land abutting the Warangal-Hyderabad NH-163 to Narsimhulu and 10 others few years ago.
On Friday, Ailamma and her sons reached the site when officials were inspecting the area. They entered into an argument with officials, demanding that they should get a share in the treasure. The revenue officials, however, made it clear that they would act as per the law.