Aligarh: Rare artefacts kept in Aligarh Muslim University’s archaeology section have gone missing. The head of the varsity’s history department has ordered an internal inquiry. Many valuable artefacts of Aligarh Muslim University, collected from various excavation sites of Atranjikhera, Fatehpur Sikri and Jhakhera, Kasgunj, Bulandshahr, Red Fort and Daulatpur have gone missing. According to departmental sources, artefacts were either stolen or misplaced during the shifting of the varsity’s archaeological section in 2014.
Former head Prof Ali Ather made shocking revelation and claimed that the artefacts were sent to US in 2013 for cleaning and testing. This was done under the supervision of Dr J Menon who was the then associate professor of the department. The artefacts have not been returned till date.
Prof Ali Ather told that Dr Menon remained in the department of history from 2003 to 2013. He wrote a letter to Vice Chancellor asking to test the artefacts in Florida (US). Administration permitted to do so. Rs 8,27,927 was released for the project. He told that the artefacts were shifted from Tar Bangla in a truck on June 30, 2013. The artefacts included iron, lead utensils, tools to kill animals, ladies jewellery. The artefacts were 3300 years old.
Vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has constituted a three-member fact-finding inquiry committee to look into the matter of “missing” artefacts from AMU’s archaeology wing.