A clay pot and a brass plate on display at the institute. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, June 1: The museum of Tribal Research Institute in Morabadi today was richer by 40 new artefacts.

Excavated jointly by the department of tribal and regional languages, Ranchi University and Munda Yuva Sangh (MYS), an organisation of tribal youths, these articles supposedly belong to 64 AD. A radiocarbon dating, that can technically ascertain how old these articles actually are, is yet to be made.

The articles were found 15 km from the capital at Pithoria (in Ranchi district itself). Members of the Munda Yuva Sangh claim the articles belong to the first Munda settlers who came to Jharkhand close to 1,500 years ago. The articles were found embedded 1 feet below the ground.

Members of the sangh demanded that the site from where these articles were unearthed be protected as there is a possibility of more such artefacts still remaining embedded at the site and the adjoining areas.

?The land from where we excavated these articles is being encroached from all sides. There are two ponds in the locality and we have strong evidence that they were constructed when the Mundas first settled in Jharkhand,? said Suryanarayan Pahan, the head of the Sutiyamber village where these articles were excavated.

The team intends to continue with the good work. ?We have deep respect for our culture. We keep carrying out such excavations even though there are no financial gains involved. We sincerely believe there are many more such remnants of tribal history embedded inside ground. Everytime we come across such major findings, we donate it to the state museum,? said John Kandulna, the vice-president of the sangh.

The institute is yet to ascertain the period to which these articles actually belong.

?By the looks and physical properties, there is a strong possibility, that the articles could belong to the period before the Nagwanshi rulers ruled over the state. That?s when the first Munda settlers came to the state. We will shortly send these articles for radio-carbon dating to an Archaeological Survey of India lab in New Delhi. This is to ascertain the period they actually belong to,? said the institute?s assistant director, Soma Singh Munda.

Among the excavated articles are five brass bangles, a gold ring, 32 brass rings, numerous remnants of human bones, a brass plate, a couple of baked bricks, a small clay water plot and remnants of a metal article.