Stone Age secrets: Ancient tool-making site discovered in Haryana's Mangar Bani
Gurgaon: Modern-day Haryana has met its prehistoric past in the forests of Mangar Bani. Hidden within the folds of the Aravali hills lies evidence of humanity's earliest toolmakers — a 500,000-year-old workshop that's possibly the oldest in north India.
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The discovery — confirmed by the former joint director-general of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) SB Ota — has taken the lid off a treasure trove of
Lower Palaeolithic artifacts
dating back to humanity's earliest known phase of development — the Acheulean culture.
"We're peering through a window that opens half a million years into our past. Mangar Bani isn't just another prehistoric site, it's a complete workshop where our ancestors crafted their tools, lived, and thrived," said Ota, who led the survey.
The survey, however, traces its roots to the early 90s, when the ASI team conducted a small-scale excavation in Anangpur. "After that, there was a gap. And now, we are starting again," he added.
The weeklong exploration unveiled a collection of over 200 artefacts, including stone tools that bear testament to the presence of Homo erectus — a human species from the Pleistocene age. These ancient craftsmen worked primarily with locally sourced sandstone and quartzite, turning them into cleavers, handaxes, and various types of scrapers.
What makes this discovery particularly significant is the presence of both finished tools and manufacturing debris — or "lithic debitage" — scattered across the site. "It tells us this wasn't just a place where tools were used, but where they were born," Ota said.
The archaeological team conducted the surveys in Mangar Bani, the surrounding hills and nearby Bandhwari. Apart from Ota, the team included his colleague Niharika Srivastava from the Academy for Archaeological Heritage Research and Training; Chetan Agarwal, a senior fellow; and Sunil Harsana, a researcher associated with the Centre for Ecology, Development and Research.
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"The tools we discovered were likely used for a variety of tasks — from butchering animals and cutting trees to cleaning hides and polishing wood. The level of refinement in these tools suggests this site could have existed in the later part of the Acheulean period. So, its estimated age could well be around 500,000 to 200,000 years," Ota said.
While Attirampakkam near Chennai is currently the oldest known Acheulian site in India at 1.7 million years old, Mangar Bani is among the most important for this cultural phase in north India, given its tool-making evidence and strategic location in the Aravali hill range.
The team plans to submit a preliminary report to Haryana govt within the next month, advocating for legal and environmental protection of the site. Currently, Mangar Bani and its surrounding Aravalis are part of the Natural Conservation Zone, which restricts construction around it, but lacks formal heritage protection.
The site lies near the now-defunct Mangar Nallah, a seasonal stream that may have provided water for early human settlers the year round.
"The hilltops here are flat, close to raw materials, and would have supported a range of prehistoric activities. It's a textbook example of an ideal Stone Age settlement site," said Chetan Agarwal.
Ota agreed that a more detailed and scientific analysis of the site was required, including sampling of sediments to ascertain the date. "This is not just a site of national importance, but of global significance. It deserves protection, study, and recognition," he added.
The ASI, however, has no immediate plans to protect the site. "Right now, we haven't had any requests like that. If we do, we will act on it," said Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, the current joint director-general of ASI.
Bhattacharya, however, agreed that the Mangar Bani sites were of utmost importance.
"The Lower Paleolithic tools and stone tools found here signify the earliest type of human occupation. Moreover, there are a few rock shelters with painted walls in Mangar, which are equally significant as well.
We have another important site in Anangpur, where we found evidence of factories," she added.
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