Mughal-Era Water Tank Unearthed in Northern India

News January 21, 2021

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AGRA, INDIA—The Times of India reports that a water tank and fountain dated to the sixteenth century have been uncovered near the Todarmal Baradari, the ruins of an ornate summer house in the town of Fatehpur Sikri, by researchers from the Archaeological Survey of India. The town served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585 during the reign of Emperor Akbar the Great. The tank measures about 28 feet square and about 3.5 feet deep. Archaeologist Vasant Swarankar said its limestone plaster coating was embellished with patterns and was probably constructed at the same time as the Todarmal Baradari—the only trace of the mansions, gardens, pavilions, stables, and caravansaries that once stood in the neighborhood to survive. To read about dairy production in the Indus Valley, go to "Around the World: India."

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