Gomsi
Interactive map of Gomsi
28°04′N 95°20′E / 28.07°N 95.33°E / 28.07; 95.33
Type	Settlement
Location	Rani Village, East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Region	India
History
Built	13th-15th century[1][2]
Built by	Chutia kingdom[3]
Site notes
Material	Brick and earth
Area	11.5 acres
Excavation dates	1995–96; 1996–97
Condition	Ruined
Owner	Public
Management	Directorate of Research, Government of Arunachal Pradesh
Public access	Yes

Gomsi is a medieval archaeological site located at Rani Village in East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India, about 15 km southwest of Pasighat.^[4] The site has been variously dated between the 13th and 15th centuries, with the Directorate of Research, Government of Arunachal Pradesh assigning it to the 13th–14th century^[5] and Gopal Bhargava to the 14th–15th century,^[6] and has been associated with the Chutia Kingdom.^[3] The fortified settlement extends over about 11.5 acres and consists of a central habitation complex surrounded by an outer habitation zone containing twenty smaller earthen mounds.^[4] The brick foundation with stairs found at the site closely resembles similar remains at Bhismaknagar, while the other brick plinth is comparable to those seen at Rukmininagar. Both Bhismaknagar and Rukmininagar are generally attributed to the Chutia period. It is believed that this site might have acted as a administrative or military camp of the Chutia kingdom to keep peace in the region as well to control the trade exchanges at that period.^[3]

There is also an ancient man-made pond(pukhuri) built as a part of the settlement. A nearby medieval habitation site at Oyan, extending over an estimated 3 km² (1.2 sq mi), has yielded pottery resembling that of Gomsi, on the basis of which archaeologists considered the two sites to be contemporary.^[7]

Site layout

The archaeological complex covers approximately 11.5 acres and is divided into a central habitation area of about 4.3 acres and an outer habitation area of about 7.2 acres. The central area contains a large rectangular brick mound measuring about 21 by 17 metres, an L-shaped earthen mound, a pond and exposed brick structures.^[4]

The outer habitation area contains twenty small earthen mounds, generally measuring about 14 by 10 metres and situated at intervals of approximately 30 metres.^[4]

Excavation of the principal brick mound exposed ten courses of brickwork from the base to the surviving floor level. The excavators concluded that the superstructure above the brick-built portion had been constructed using perishable materials. Thirteen different sizes and shapes of bricks were recorded during the 1995–96 excavation.^[8] A later description by the Directorate of Research records more than twenty-four different sizes of bricks from the site.^[4]

A channel about 3.5 metres wide surrounded the settlement and connected with a rectangular pond measuring approximately 38 by 28 metres. The excavators interpreted the channel as serving the dual functions of a moat and a source of water supply.^[9]

The Directorate of Research has suggested that the remains at Gomsi may represent an extension of the archaeological culture of the Brahmaputra Valley of Upper Assam into the eastern foothill region.^[4]

Excavation at Gomsi

Report of 1995-96

During 1995–96, the Directorate of Research, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, conducted trial excavations at the main mound and at the extreme northwestern corner of the 11.5-acre site. Gomsi is located about 15 km southwest of Pasighat and about 19 km from Murkongselek railway station on the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border.^[8]

A portion of brick-wall was exposed out of a house structure. Excavation of almost rectangular mound (21x17 m), revealed ten brick courses to the northwestern corner of the wall showing both the base and the floor levels. Above the floor level, a superstructure was raised by using some perishable material.

Thirteen different sizes and shapes of bricks were recorded during the excavation. Finds included different types of pottery, fragments of stone urns, black-painted pottery decorated with a criss-cross pattern, a fragment of a flower vase and an iron spearhead recovered from about 15 cm below the surface.^[8] From the preliminary study of the findings, the site was assigned to the early-medieval period, probably pre-Ahom.^[8]

From the preliminary study of the findings, the site could be assignable to the pre-Ahom period.

Related site at Oyan

Another medieval habitation site has been identified at Oyan, about 12 km from Pasighat. The archaeological remains are reported to extend over approximately 3 km² (1.2 sq mi), from the Ruksin–Oyan road to the Oyan–Oiramghat road. The site occupies relatively high ground composed of alluvial sandy soil on the Siang River plain. Based on similarities between potsherds recovered at Oyan and those from Rani (Gomsi), archaeologists provisionally considered the two sites to be contemporary.^[7] Antiquities documented from Oyan include a miniature metal sculpture identified as the goddess Lakshmi, measuring approximately 3.5 × 2.5 × 1.5 cm.^[7]

The site came to archaeological attention following reports of villagers recovering precious beads, metal idols, old coins and other antiquities. A three-member team of the archaeological research department, led by P. J. Das, subsequently conducted a preliminary survey at Oyan. Some of the recovered coins were taken for examination, while the local administration restricted further unsupervised digging pending archaeological investigation.^[10]

See also

• Bhismaknagar
• Tamreswari Temple
• Sadiya
• Barnagar, Sadiya
• Chutia kingdom
• Rukmininagar Fort
• Ita Fort
• Ramghat-Tarasso Ruins
• Padum Pukhuri
• Naksaparvat

References

Further reading

• Tada, Tage (2002). Archaeological Ruins of Gomsi, East Siang District, A.P. Directorate of Research, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

External links

Media related to Gomsi at Wikimedia Commons