The 4,000-year-old burial sites at Sanauli in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, about 80 km from here,  which made waves in archeological circle following the excavation of underground “sacred chambers”,  chariots, decorated “legged coffins” as well as fascinating artifact might get the “national importance” tag soon.

The country’s premier conservation body, Archeological Survey of India (ASI) under the Union Culture Ministry has issued a preliminary notification in this regard showing its intention to tag the site as ‘national importance’.

The aim is to protect the site from encroachment, tempering and destruction. Around 28.67 hectares of land mostly belonging to the locals in the region has been earmarked for notification.

The draft notification says that the Central Government is of the opinion that, the ancient site, namely, archaeological site and remains in the locality of Sadikpur Sinauli, district Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh is of national importance.

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958), the Central Government hereby gives notice of its intention to declare the said Archaeological Site and remains to be of national importance.”

The ASI has sought objections in this regard from the public.

“Sanauli is an important site from archeological point of view as artifacts found from the venue are  not only of national importance but of international importance too.  Much remain yet to be explored,” said archeologist SK Manjul who is credited for the unearthing coffins and sacred chambers important artifacts from the site in 2018.  

Sanauli is located on the left bank of the River Yamuna, 68 km north-east of Delhi which brought to light the largest necropolis of the late Harappan period datable to around early part of second millennium BCE.

Manjul said that the unearthed  chariots, some coffins, shields, swords andg helmets  points towards the existence of a “warrior class in the area around 2,000 BCE”.

“These findings are important to understand the culture pattern of the Upper Ganga-Yamuna doab. We found copper swords, helmets, shields and chariots,” Manjul said.

He claimed that the discovery of chariots put India on a par with ancient civilisations in Mesopotamia and Greece, where chariots were used extensively.