Carbon dating estimates Khadkhoda mound’s main Shiva lingam dates to the 11th century

The State Archaeology Department’s scientific excavation at the Khadkhoda mound in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district found evidence from different historical periods. The mound lies beside the Ghoghi River near Sahjanwa Babu village.

Findings from the mound

The department inspected the site in July 2025 and excavated it in August. A report estimated the main Shiva lingam to date to the 11th century, based on carbon dating. Pottery fragments from the mound’s lower layers were identified as belonging to the Kushan period.

During its July 2025 survey, the archaeology team also identified remains of an ancient stupa in nearby Sahjanwa Babu village.

Important Facts for Exams

• Radiocarbon mechanism: Radiocarbon dating tracks biological material: carbon-14 uptake stops when an organism dies, after which the isotope in its remains continues to decay.
• Mukhalingam faces: A mukhalingam bears Shiva’s face; ekmukha has one face, chaturmukha four facing the cardinal directions, and panchamukha five, including one above.
• Stratigraphic superposition: In undisturbed archaeological deposits, the law of superposition generally places older cultural layers beneath younger ones, although later disturbance can invert the sequence.
• Kushan coin iconography: Kushan coins commonly paired ruler portraits with deities drawn from Greek, Iranian and Indian traditions.