Ranchi Circle 
KABRA – KALA (long.830
54'.142" E and lat. 240
31'.827" N.)
LOCATION:- Kabra-Kala (long.830 54'.142" E and lat. 240 31'.827" N.) is situated at a distance of about 251 km. towards north from the capital city Ranchi of Jharkhand. It comes under Haidarnagar Police Station in Japla Block, Dist. Palamu. Kabra-Kala mound is situated at a distance of about 18 km. from Japla Railway Station.
Kabra-Kala mound is situated on the right bank of river Son. It is the place from where river Son and Koel met together. It is situated on an elevated mound of about 10 to 12 meters high from the ground level. The mound covered an area of about 1000x500 meters. Most part of the mound is occupied by local villagers. Eastern part of the mound is under cultivation. Several Kaccha and Pakka houses were built by the villagers on the mound.
POTTERY:- During the courses of investigation observed number of pot sherds scattered on the mound. These potteries may be categorised from Chalcolithic period to Late Medieval period. Red ware, black and red ware, black ware, black slipped ware and NBP ware are the main potteries which have been noticed on the mound. The shapes included lipped-bowl, storage jars, basin, handi, dish, miniature pots are the main vessels in red ware. In black ware small and medium size bowl, storage jars, basin, handi, dish, miniature pots are main vessels whereas in NBP ware dishes and bowl are the main pots. NBP ware have been found in black, golden, silver and violet colour are made up of fine and well lavigated clay and it is very well fired as a result of that it has metallic sound. Some of the pots in NBP ware have been found decorated with floral design in the interior portion of the base which has been created by stamp technique.
During the courses of exploration several numbers of terracotta ring-wells of different diameters varying from 68 cm, 74cm, 77cm, 126cm and130cm have been traced.
Antiquity:- A large number of antiquities and art objects from Neolithtic to Late Medieval period have been collected by the local villagers from time to time and are kept by the villagers. Shri Tapas Kumar Dey a local resident of Japla has collected large number of antiquities from the mound and has kept under his custody. He has shown to us number of antiquities during the courses of our investigation . The information of these antiquities are as under:-
COINS:- coppers punch – marked coins, Delhi Sultanate copper coins, Mughal period silver coins, British period copper coin and copper token.
BANGLES:- Stone, glass terracotta, bangle fragments found both plain and decorated.
SLING BALL:- Stone, terracotta sling balls.
BEADS:- Numbers of beads made up of agate, carnelian, chert, jasper, quartz, crystal, chalcedony and in terracotta also. The bead shapes comprises pear shape, biconvex, circular, arecanut, spherical, ghat shapes, hexagonal and barrel shape.
TERRACOTTA HUMAN FIGURINE:- Another finding at the mound by the villagers is a very nice and pleasing appearance terracotta female head, wearing damru shape ear ring on her right ear where as the left ear ring is mutilated is datable to Gupta period.
SEAL:-Most noteworthy finding of the site by the villagers is an inscribed stone seal. The length of the seal is 3 cm. and its stamp is square in shape measuring 1.5 x 1.5 cm in which triratna type symbol has been engraved.
Occurrence of such large number of art objects , antiquities and pot-sherds suggest that once Kabra – Kala was very prosperous and was a great trade centre as it is situated on the confluence of the river Son and Koel. It had trade link through water route which connect the ancient Patliputra and other part of ancient India.
In short we can say that Kabra – Kala is archaeologically much important site of Jharkhand . Presently it is neither protected by the Archaeological Survey of India nor by the State Archaeological Department of Jharkhand.
However, to know the culture sequences of the site a systematic trial trenches for excavation is recommended by the team of Archaeological Survey of India, Ranchi Circle, Ranchi.
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