15/04/2024
History of Rangertek -Wari-Bateshwar is an archaeological site located in Norshingdi's Belabo Upazila and Shibpur Upazila's neighbouring village Rangertek,Wari and Bateshwar. It is believed that it is a fortress located under the ground. According to C-14 dating (Radio-carbon dating), the origin of this city dates back to 450 BC during the era of Maurya dynasty. this archaeological site is significant for three reasons.
Firstly, it was a contemporary of 6th-4th century BCE in the contemporary Magadha, Kashi, Kosala, archaeological burg. It is believed that it was a state and Rangertek-Wari-Bateshwar was the capital of that state.
Secondly, Rangertek-Wari-Bateshwar is linked with Silk-Route (the road was an ancient trade route) and it was connected to ancient Roman and Egyptian civilization. A rolled pot, which is the Mediterranean, wired or bronze pottery, found on the site testifies that trade was a prevalent custom at that time. Professor Dilip Kumar Chakrabarty of the South Asian Archeology Department at Cambridge University thinks that Rangertek- Wari-Bateshwar was in touch with Southeast Asia and the Roman Empire.
Thirdly, pit-dwelling (pit-house) is another amazing discovery of Rangertek-Wari-Bateswar. This is like a storeroom for food preservation settlements and a living room as well. Similar settlement elements have been discovered in Imamgaon, Maharashtra, India.
"Human settlement started in the Rangertek-Wari-Bateshwar region since prehistoric period. The region experienced Chalcolithic culture e.g. pit-dwelling and enjoyed the status of the earliest state in Bangladesh during circa 6th century BC. It was a port-city on the bank of the river Old Brahmaputra. Rangertek-Wari-Bateshwar had commercial relation with South-east Asia and the Mediterranean region. It is assumed that Wari-Bateshwar was the Gangaridie nation or state, which was contemporary to the Alexander of Macedonia".
