Excavation at Rairh during Samvat Years: 1995 & 1996

The excavations reveal that Rairh was a flourishing industrial centre, specially in metallurgy and manufacture of iron tools, lead, bronze, silver and gold. The numismatic evidence suggests that the town must have been founded in about the 3rd century B.C. and continued to flourish till about the end of 2nd century A.D. though traces of partial occupation of the site as late as early Gupta period have also been brought to light. Deep digging over a part of the area showed that the site was in occupation twice before, besides the period represented by the remains on the surface of the mound. The Malava coins, the lead seal of Malava Republic and the punch-marked silver coins prove that Rairh, like Nagar (in Uniara Thikana of the former Jaipur state) was an important centre of the Malava tribe, under the suzerainty of Maurya and Sunga Kings. In a lengthy Appendix, the report gives tabulation of ring-wells, of coins including Senapati, Mitra and miscellaneous coins, tabulation of seals, a nicely drawn site-plan of Rairh (plate I), photographs of excavations showing set of paralled walls, layer of iron slag, Ring Pits, a map showing the trenches during the excavation of eastern area of Rairh and sketches of a vast variety of pottery, stone vessels, iron, shell and pottery objects, photographs of terracotta plaques and figures, terracotta models of animals and birds, iron implements, beads, photographs of coins and a complete list of the silver punchmarked coins with marks on each coin both on obverse and reverse side excavated from Rairh. The excavation report of this important centre of Malava tribe market a truly fascinating reading as much for the professional archaeologist as for the laymen.