Speakers at a seminar on Monday in Dhaka said that jewellery depicted culture, economy and skills of artisans of an era.
Organised by the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh鈥檚 Centre for Archaeological Studies, the seminar, titled Jewellery Depicted on the Terracotta Plaques of Samatata: An Archaeological Perspective, held at the Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum at Shahbagh.
Director of the CAS, Professor Shahnaj Husne Jahan presented the keynote, while terracotta art specialist Niru Shamsun Nahar and deputy secretary of ministry of cultural affairs Md Saiful Islam discussed the keynote.
Dhaka University former Islamic history and culture professor Najma Khan Majlish chaired the seminar.聽聽聽
The Samatata was a prominent part in the history of the Bengal region from seventh to 11th century. The Lalmai-Mainamati area was the centre of the Samatata, and the research on Jewelry was based on the Terracotta found from these archaeological sites, said Shahnaj Husne Jahan.聽聽聽
Among 867 terracotta sculptures in the region, 118 sculptures of male and female worn Jewellery made of including, gold, silver, and bronze, she mentioned.
Among others, they wore jewellery on head, forehead, hair, ears, nose, which portrayed the aesthetics and artistic expertise of the era with the culture, she added, urging that the archaeological sites should be saved to protect tradition and culture for the new generation. 聽
Niru Shamsun Nahar said that not only sculptures, ancient songs and literature had also been depicted in jewellery.
Although our ancestors used to lead simple life, they wore expensive jewellery, said Niru Shamsun Nahar.
Culture is not only consisting of music or dance, but also the tradition and architecture of a nation, said Saiful Islam.
Najma Khan Majlish said that terracotta was widely used at mosques, temples, cultural centres and the palace of landlords in these regions from ancient times.
鈥楾he government should take initiatives to protect the archaeological sites,鈥� urged Najma Khan Majlish.聽聽聽