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