A significant archaeological discovery in Rajasthan is poised to rewrite the timeline of currency use in India, potentially pushing the history of coinage back by two to three centuries. Excavations at Bahaj, in Bharatpur district, have unearthed coins suggesting that formalized currency may have existed as early as the 7th-8th century BCE, much older than the previously accepted date of the 4th-5th century BCE.
The groundbreaking finding is detailed in a recent paper by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) superintendent archaeologist, Vinay Gupta, titled ‘The Earliest Coinage of Bharat as Unearthed from Bahaj Excavations.’
The paper reveals that the Bahaj site, located near the border with Uttar Pradesh, has provided a large number of coins from the pre-Mauryan period to the late Kushan period. Crucially, the lowest deposits of the excavation contained silver punch-marked, copper punch-marked, and uninscribed copper cast coins.
Mr. Gupta’s team discovered these coins at depths of up to 320 cm. While dating some specimens to approximately 450-550 BCE, the archaeologist posits that the coins’ worn state indicates they were in circulation for at least a century or two prior, extending their origin to the 7th-8th century BCE.
This earlier chronology suggests that sophisticated systems of trade and commerce were flourishing in the Braj region during the late phase of the pre-Mauryan era. The excavation also yielded intriguing insights into the cultural practices of the time, including the discovery of coins wrapped in cloth inside miniature pots placed in ritualistic pits (Yajnakundas), suggesting a ritualistic use of currency by the pre-Mauryan populace.
Furthermore, the Bahaj site has proven historically rich in other aspects, previously suggesting that the Brahmi script might predate the Ashoka edicts, linking it to the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture. The presence of both ancient coins and later-period cowries also provides a comprehensive picture of the currency and transaction methods used in the region over millennia.
