Cuttack, June 22: Over 2,000kg of cowries, used as currency centuries ago, have been found at Panikoili village in Jajpur.

For those uninitiated into the ancient currency system, cowries were small shells, flat and white underneath with thick yellowish-white edges and a pale lemon upper surface. Labourers stumbled upon the cowries while digging the backyard of one Bhagirathi Sahu’s residence for the construction of a lavatory.

Initially, a basket of cowries were discovered, 3ft below the ground. Eventually, enormous quantities as the labourers dug up to 9ft and 6ft horizontally. “Counting has not been possible. But more than 20 quintals of cowries have been unearthed since the digging began in June 13,” said Bhagirathi. “They were possibly kept buried by one of Bhagirathi’s forefather, who was a zamindar,” village elders said.

According to historical records, cowries were used as a medium of exchange in early medieval Orissa. They were also used in commercial transactions in other parts of the country till to the advent of the Britishers.

But, nothing definite is known of the value of cowries vis-à-vis gold and silver.

According to experts cowries originally came from Maldives and were exported to Bengal for a long time.

They were circulated as common currency in India and Southeast Asia including Arakan, Martaben, Pegu, Siam, Laos, and Burma and Yunan.