49 DECEMBER - 2024 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Introduction: Researchers have extensively undertaken researches on archaeological studies in western upland and coastal part of Odisha. 1 Researches on prehistoric culture in southern part of Odisha remained helicopter view. 2 The present paper is a preliminary report based on the surface exploration conducted in the Jhanjavati river which is a tributary of the Nagavali river in Rayagada district of south Odisha. The primary purpose of our exploration is to understand the historical significance of the study area and to know the importance of the archaeological remains of the place with relation other prehistoric archaeological sites. Geographical Personality of the Jhanjavati river: The study area, the Jhanjavati river, is a tributary of the Nagavali river and it is located in Rayagada district of southern Odisha. The district is surrounded by Speaking River: A Recent Archaeological Investigation in Jhanjavati River, Rayagada, Odisha Damayanti Bag Lokesh K. Durga Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput and Andhra Pradesh. We explored the river and identified a prehistoric site at Gumma Pahar (19.200765, 83.290660 ). The Gumma Pahar archaeological is located at a distance of fourteen kilometers in the West of the Rayagada Railway Station, Rayagada. The nearest modern habitational settlements of Gumma are Lada, Guma, Pushbadi, Kataganda, and Mushkapadi. Figure 1: Archaeological site of Gumma Pahar, Jhanjavati river is flowing between the two hills