Excavations in Andhra Pradesh
Excavations follow explorations. Surface exploration wood give only an idea about the general nature and the broad cultural overview of the site, it is through excavations we can get a comprehensive picture of the succession of cultures as well as the material contents of the site.
Excavations constitute a significant part of the activities of the Department of Archaeology and Museums. This has been one of the primary methods for unearthing the treasures and wonders of history that lay buried under different layers of the ground surface and sub surface.
The Department of Archaeology has conducted excavations more than 65 in residuary Andhra Pradesh. Some important sites are given below….. Chandavaram, Motupalli, Ageripalli, Jonnawada, Dupadu, Hullikalu, Mogalrajapuram, Nandaluru, Bavikonda, Totlakonda, Pavurallakonda, Bellum Cave, Bapatla, Buddham, Mallipadu, Gopalapatnam, Buddhagavi, Dantapuram, Bhemunipatnam, Erravaram, Chandavaram, Kothapatnam, Enugugavi, Lanjagudipadu, Ucchure, Penumaka, Jagatipadu, Mothadaka, Kandamur, A.Kothapalli and Polavaram Salvage Archaeology. These excavations brought to light the Proto-historic and Early historic cultural material and age-old Buddhist stupas.
List of Excavation conducted by the Department of Archaeology and Museums from 1914 till date.
| S.No. | Name of the Site | Place / District | Year |
| 1. | Early Historic Site | Pennada
(West Godavari) |
1970-71 |
| 2. | Buddhist Site | Chandavaram (Prakasam) | 1972-73
1973-74 1974-75 1975-76 1976-77 1996-97 |
| 3. | Early Historic Site | Motupalli (Prakasam) | 1973-74 |
| 4. | Megalithic Burial | Aagiripally (Krishna) | 1976-77 |
| 5. | Megalithic Burial | Jonnawada (Nellore) | 1976-77 |
| 6. | Buddhist Site | Dupadu (Prakasam) | 1976-77 |
| 7. | Early Historic Site | R.kuntalapadu (Kurnool) | 1976-77 |
| 8. | Dutch Cemetery | Palcol (West Godavari) | 1976-77 |
| 9. | Medieval Site | Garegeypuram (Kurnool) | 1977-78 |
| 10. | Early Historic Site | Dongalasani (Kadapa) | 1977-78 |
| 11. | Ash mound | Hullikallu (Anantapur) | 1978-79
|
| 12. | Cave Site | Mogalirajapuram (Krishna) | 1978-79 |
| 13. | Buddhist Site | Nandaluru (Kadapa) | 1978-79
1979-80 |
| 14. | Early Historic Site | Rajahmundry, (East Godavari) | 1978-79
1979-80 1980-81 1986-87 |
| 15. | Early Historic Site | Musalimadugu (Kurnool) | 1981-82 |
| 16. | Buddhist Site | Bavikonda (Visakhapatnam) | 1982-83
1983-84 1984-85 1985-86 1986-87 1991-92 |
| 17. | Buddhist Site | Mortha (West Godavari) | 1983-84
1985-86 |
| 18. | Early Historic Site | Gorignur (Kadapa) | 1984-85 |
| 19. | Early Historic Site | Dommaranandyala (Kadapa) | 1984-85 |
| 20. | Early Historic Site | Mettapeta (Sirkakulam) | 1984-85 |
| 21. | Temple Site | Peddakondamagandla (Guntur) | 1984-85 |
| 22. | Megalithic Burial | Bapatla (Guntur) | 1985-86 |
| 23. | Early Historic Site | Kondayyyavalasa (Visakhapatnam) | 1986-87 |
| 24. | Medieval Site
|
Gudupally (Chittoor) | 1987-88 |
| 25. | Early Historic Site | Mallipadu (Guntur) | 1987-88
1988-89 |
| 26. | Buddhist Site | Tekkalapadu (Krishna) | 1987-88 |
| 27. | Buddhist Site | Thotlakonda (Visakhapatnam) | 1987-88
1988-89 1989-90 1991-92 |
| 28. | Temple Site | Sugumanchapalli (Chittoor) | 1988-89 |
| 29. | Early Historic Site | Duvvuru (Nellore) | 1989-90 |
| 30. | Buddhist Site | Sithanagaram (Vijayawada)Krishna | 1990-91 |
| 31. | Buddhist Site | Gopalapatnam (Visakhapatnam) | 1990-91
1991-92 1992-93 |
| 32. | Buddhist Site | Bobbalakonda (Visakhapatnam) | 1990-91 |
| 33. | Early Historic Site | Gaddamedapalli (Kadapa) | 1991-92 |
| 34. | Buddhist Site | Pavuralakonda (Visakhapatnam) | 1991-92
1992-93 1993-94 1996-97 1998-99 2000-01 |
| 35. | Megalithic Burial | Buddhagavi (Anantapur) | 1992-93 |
| 36. | Megalithic Burial | Bandamedapalli (Anantapur) | 1992-93 |
| 37. | Early Historic Site | Timmasamudram (Anantapur) | 1992-93 |
| 38. | Early Historic site | Majeru (Krishna) | 1992-93 |
| 39. | Megalithic Burial
|
Kothakallu (Prakasam) | 1992-93 |
| 40. | Buddhist Site | Dantapuram (Srikakulam) | 1993-94
1998-99 |
| 41. | Early Historic site | Budithagaddapally (Anantapur) | 1993-94 |
| 42. | Early Historic site | Tondamanadu (Chittoor) | 1993-94 |
| 43. | Early Historic site | Kothapatnam (Nellore) | 1993-94
1996-97 |
| 44. | Buddhist Site | Darapalem (Visakhapatnam) | 1993-94
|
| 45. | Early Historic Site | Paradesipalem (Visakhapatnam) | 1994-95 |
| 46. | Early Historic site | Bheemunipatnam (Visakhapatnam) | 1994-95 |
| 47. | Early Historic site | Amalapuram (Visakhapatnam) | 1994-95 |
| 48. | Buddhist Site | Erravaram (East Godavari) | 1996-97 |
| 49. | Megalithic Site | Enugughavi (Anantapur) | 1998-99 |
| 50. | Megalithic Site | Maddiyananpalli (Chittoor) | 1998-99 |
| 51. | Early Historic Site | Juvvaladinna (Nellore) | 1998-99 |
| 52. | Early Historic Site | Muppala (Prakasam) | 1998-99 |
| 53. | Early Historic Site | Tallapaka (Kadapa) | 1999-2000 |
| 54. | Megalithic Site | Ucchuru (Nellore) | 1999-2000 |
| 55. | Temple site | Paidipaka
(West Godavari)
|
1999-2000 |
| 56. | Temple Site | Tutigunta
(West Godavari) |
1999-2000 |
| 57. | Buddhist Site | Penumaka (Guntur) | 2000-2001 |
| 58. | Megalithic Site | Addanki (Prakasam) | 2000-2001 |
| 59. | Early Historic Site | Challangi (East Godvari) | 2004-2005 |
| 60. | Buddhist Site | Jagatipadu (Srikakulam) | 2004-2005 |
| 61. | Buddhist Site | Nandayyapalem (Prakasam) | 2006-2007 |
| 62. | Megalithic Site | Mothadaka (Guntur) | 2011-2012 |
| 63. | Megalithic Site | Kandamur (Nellore) | 2014-2015 |
| 64. | Buddhist Site | A.Kothapalli, (East Godavari) | 2014-2015 2015-2016 |
| 65. | Salvage Archaeology – Polavaram Project | Rayanapeta East Godavari & Rudramakota West Godavari Districts | 2017-18 |