Wall from 5th century excavated at Mysuru

Mysuru: A team of archaeologists have discovered a 10 ft thick and 100 ft deep masonry wall which dates back to the 5^th century. The wall was excavated in Talakadu, a desert-like town on the banks of the Cauvery river, around 45 km from Mysuru. The archaeologists believe the wall was built to protect the then settlement from floods.

Archaeologist M.S. Krishna Murthy, who is at the forefront of the excavation, said that some portions of wall were still strong indicating the expertise of ancient engineers. He said that they had excavated the wall for a length of 15 ft, but evidences in the site indicate the wall to be 1 km long. He also said that it was the largest masonry wall in South India, standing strongly from the 5^th century to the 15^th century.

Murthy has been conducting extensice excavation work in Talakadu since 1992. He said that the outer side of the wall had signs of corrosion owing to the continuous presence of river water. He also said that the wall was made out of bricks, clay and mortar; and had three layers to it. He speculated that the wall may have been built during the reign of Kiriya Madhava from the Ganga dynasty.