British-era coins and ancient fossils unearthed off Visakhapatnam coast

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 21 (HBTV): A trove of British-era coins and prehistoric fossils has been recovered from the seabed off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

The find, made during recent underwater explorations, offers a rare perspective on both the colonial history and the ancient geological past of the Bay of Bengal.

An exhibition in Visakhapatnam featuring rocks and coins dating back to the era of dinosaurs has attracted significant public interest.

Archaeology scholars in Visakhapatnam have organised the exhibition to showcase fossils thousands of years old, rocks with unique wood-like textures, and remnants recovered from the depths of oceans and lakes.

Shaswati Jagatpatnaik, a research scholar from Andhra University, described the exhibition as a ‘living testimony’ and a historical bridge spanning the dawn of humanity to modern independence, showcasing fossils, regional heritage, and ancient coinage from dynasties such as the Satavahanas and Mauryas.

‘We are witnessing here today what you can say is a bridge of the past mixed with that of the present itself. And this exhibition is the living testimony of it. Not only does it feature a private collection of coins and fossils starting from the dawn of humanity up until the modern-day British period, but it also presents visual representations of heritage sites across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, along with a brief history of Andhra University,’ she said.

‘The coin collection presented here begins from the early age of the Mahajanapadas and extends up to 1947, marking India’s independence. The prominent dynasties featured include the Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Vishnukundinas, Mauryas, and Guptas, alongside some foreign coins,’ Jagatpatnaik added.

Speaking to ANI, research scholar from the Department of History and Archaeology, Andhra University, Sneha Kalampudi said, ‘The British began constructing railways in India during the 1850s. In Andhra, railway development started around 1862. The first railway line was from Renigunta during the 1860s, and in Visakhapatnam, the first railway station was Waltair, constructed in 1896. After independence, the railways were nationalised. Earlier, there was the South Central Zone in undivided Andhra Pradesh, but after the 2014 bifurcation, the zone headquarters became part of Telangana.’ (ANI)