তিলপী-ধোসা | |
  Shown within West Bengal | |
| Location | Tilpi andDhosa,West Bengal, India |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 22°14′51″N88°31′37″E / 22.2473926°N 88.5270593°E /22.2473926; 88.5270593 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | 2nd century BCE |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Public access | Yes |
Tilpi-Dhosa is an archaeological site ofIndian state ofWest Bengal. The archaeological site is situated on the right bank ofPiyali River, which spans bothTilpi andDhosa villages. Exploration and limited archaeological excavations in both these villages have uncovered 2,200-year-old artefacts and Gupta-era Buddhiststupa.[1]
Excavations have been conducted at various times at the site. Artifacts found during the excavations prove the antiquity and archaeological importance of Tilpi-Dhosa. Major part of the artifacts are preserved in theState Archaeological Museum ofWest Bengal. Chinese Buddhist monkFa-Hien mentioned visiting a large mound in the vicinity of Tilpi-Dhosa, which roughly corresponds to the location of thevillage of Dhosa; a large number of terracotta bricks have been found here, which is evidence of the presence of a large well-built structure.[1]
Residents of Tilpi and Dhosa villages have recovered ancient terracotta bricks and idols at different times, so they are aware of the ancient settlement. However, there are no mounds in the two villages, which are mostly formed from the ruins of ancient settlements. Survey exploration and excavation by the Archeology Department of theGovernment of West Bengal in two villages yielded evidence of ancient settlements. Excavations were carried out between 2005 AD and 2007 AD, which extending the human settlement at both villages to 200 BC. According to archaeologists, this place was connected by waterway toChandraketugarh throughPiyali andBidyadhari rivers.[1][2]
Archaeologists claim that the first cultural phase of the site spanned from the2nd to the1st century BC.[3] However, most of theGupta period artefacts have been found from the site. No urban features or presence of forts were found in the two villages, which indicating a rural and agricultural settlement at the site. According to artefacts from the village of Tilpi, the fire occurred in the 3rd century AD, and the village is no longer inhabited, but it was re-inhabited in the 16th–17th centuries. An ancient building-structure has been identified in the village ofDhosa, which archaeologists have referred to as a Buddhiststupa and identified as the Buddhist stupa mentioned inFa-hien's description.[1]