UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA—The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) undertook preliminary excavations at the site of a ancient fort in the north Indian village of Daudiakala last week. Three months earlier, a local holy man, Shoban Sarkar, dreamt there was a cache of 1,000 tons of gold on the premesis—a vision he reported to, among other, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The dig, however, was not influenced by the swami's dream, the ASI's Syed Jamal Hasan told the Agence France Presse, "It is a trial excavation and so far we have cleared soil up to a depth of five feet and yesterday we found a medieval wall, earthen jars and pots, a hearth and a floor."
Indian Archaeologists Dig Where Swami Saw Gold
News October 24, 2013
Recommended Articles
Off the Grid September/October 2025
Necropolis of Pantalica, Italy

Artifacts September/October 2025
Anglo-Saxon Coin

Digs & Discoveries September/October 2025
Law & Order

Digs & Discoveries September/October 2025
African Swordcraft

-
Features September/October 2013
Tomb of the Vulture Lord
A king’s burial reveals a pivotal moment in Maya history
(© Kenneth Garrett) -
Letter from Norway September/October 2013
The Big Melt
The race to find, and save, ancient artifacts emerging from glaciers and ice patches in a warming world
Courtesy Oppland County Council, Photo: Johan Wildhagen/Palookaville -
Artifacts September/October 2013
Roman Writing Tablet
A tablet bearing a birthday party invite includes the earliest Latin script penned by a woman
(© The Trustees of the British Museum/Art Resource, NY) -
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2013
No Changeups on the Savannah
(Private Collection/J.T. Vintage/The Bridgeman Art Library, Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY, Pat Benic/Copyright Bettmann/Corbis/AP Images)