5/5 Priyanka R. 5 years ago on Google
The
State
Archaeological
Museum,
West
Bengal
was
initially
inaugurated
by
the
honourable
Chief
Minister
Sri
Jyoti
Basu
in
1980
in
an
important
palatial
building
at
l
Satyen
Roy
Road,
Behala
in
the
southern
suburbs
of
the
city
of
Kolkata.
The
Museum
grew
out
of
the
collection
mainly
made
by
the
officials
of
the
directorate
in
course
of
excavations
and
explorations,
though
some
of
the
materials
were
collected
through
purchase
and
as
gift.
Gradually,
as
the
collection
grew
over
the
years
the
old
building
of
the
Museum
was
felt
inadequate
for
a
modern
and
scientific
display
of
its
holding.
Accordingly,
a
new
four—storied
building
was
planned
to
be
constructed
in
the
premises
of
the
old
building.
The
first
two
floors
of
this
new
annexe
building
with
five
modern
display
galleries
were
completed
and
inaugurated
on
3
August
2006
by
the
Governor
of
West
Bengal
in
a
ceremony
presided
over
by
the
Chief
Minister
of
West
Bengal.
The
new
building
of
the
Museum
where
the
exhibits
for
public
viewing
are
shifted
have
five
galleries,
Gallery
One:
Sites
and
Sights.
Gallery
Two:
Paintings
of
Bengal.
Gallery
Three:
Sculptures
of
Bengal.
Gallery
Four:
Nandadirghi
Vihara:
Jagjivanpur
Gallery
Five:
West
Bengal:
Early
Historic
Period.
Gallery
Six
:
Showcasing
metal
sculptures.
It
is
now
ready
for
public
viewing.
Apart
from
these
galleries,
three
more
new
galleries
will
be
laid
in
the
second
floor
of
the
building
within
the
end
of
the
coming
year.
The
proposed
galleries
are:
l.
Prehistory
and
Protohistory,
2.
Ethnic
Art,
3.
Numismatics:
Coinage
in
Bengal.
Moreover,
a
new
small
gallery
will
be
opened
as
a
temporary
exhibition
in
first
floor
where
excavated
artifacts,
recovered
through
the
recent
excavation
(2007—2008)
at
Hatpara
in
Murshidabad
will
be
displayed.
The
Museum
gives
us
a
glimpse
into
the
cultural
milieu
of
Bengal
and
the
evolution
of
Bengat’s
culture
from
pre—protohistoric
through
historic
periods
upto
the
colonial
time.
The
Museum
has
a
rich
collection
of
antiquities
like
stone
artifacts
appertaining
to
all
stages
of
development
of
Stone
Age
in
Bengal
discovered
from
sites
like
Susunia
and
Kankradara
(Bankura
District).
Gopiballabpur
and
its
neighbourhood
in
the
Suvarnarekha
valley
(West
Midnapore
District),
Palaeolithic
and
Neolithic
artifacts
from
different
sites
in
the
districts
of
Purulia,
Bankura,
Birbhum
and
Burdwan.
Neolithic
artifacts
from
Kalimpong
region
in
Darjeeling
district
and
Bagridihi
in
West
Midnapore
district;
shouldered
celts,
enigmatic
rings
of
copper
and
other
copper
artifacts
associated
with
Copper
Hoard
Culture
from
different
sites
lying
in
the
districts
of
West
Midnapore,
Bankura
and
Purulia.
Chalcolithic
artifacts
and
antiquities
collected
by
exploration
from
different
sites
in
the
district
of
Burdwan,
Birbhum
and
Bankura
and
by
excavation
at
Pandu
Rajar
Dhibi
(1962-65,
1985)
and
Baneswardanga
(1974)
(both
in
Burdwan
district);
archaic
(pre—Mauryan)
terracottas
envisaging
Mother
Goddess
from
Farakka
in
Murshidabad
district,
early
historic
terracOttas
from
different
sites
in
the
lower
Gangetic
Valley
(especially
from
Chandraketugarh
in
the
North
24
Parganas
district);
late
Gupta
stucco
head
of
female
deity
from
Karnasuyarna
(Murshidabad
district)
and
othe
comparable
terracottas
from
Panna
in
the
Midnapore
district;
silver
punch—marked
coins
from
Chandraketugarh
and
Lohapur
(Birbhum
district);
Gupta
gold
coins
mostly
from
the
district
of
Hooghly.
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