Latest news with #IndusValleyCivilization
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: ‘India' by Audrey Truschke
Much of world history is Indian history. Home today to one in four people, the subcontinent has long been densely populated and deeply connected to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas through migration and trade. In this magisterial history, Audrey Truschke tells the fascinating story of the region historically known as India—which includes today's India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan—and the people who have lived there. A sweeping account of five millennia, from the dawn of the Indus Valley Civilization to the 21st century.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Keezhadi row: Expert transferred again, CM Stalin says: ‘How many hurdles before Tamil race?'
K Amarnath Ramakrishna, the archaeologist known for his excavation work at Keezhadi, has been transferred from his post of Director of Antiquity at the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) to Director of the NMMA's Greater Noida office. The transfer comes less than a month after Ramakrishna declined to revise his 982-page 'final' report on Keezhadi, submitted to the ASI in January 2023. It is Ramakrishna's third transfer in nine months. Hitting out at the Centre over the transfer, Chief Minister M K Stalin said people should gather in large numbers for the protest organised by the DMK youth wing against the Centre's move to 'sabotage' the Keezhadi excavations and findings. In a statement Tuesday, he said: 'How many hurdles have been placed before our Tamil race? And yet, for thousands and thousands of years, we have resisted them, fought back, and established the antiquity of our people with the support of science! Still, there are some minds that refuse to accept it. It is not the reports that need correction – it is those minds!' Su Venkatesan, the CPI(M) MP from Madurai, said: 'Amarnath Ramakrishna is being relentlessly hunted down for the truth he uncovered… The people of Tamil Nadu will give an appropriate response to the deceitful actions of the Union government.' The CPI(M) is an ally of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. The Stalin government, which has made 'Dravidian' pride the centrepiece of its politics, considers the Keezhadi findings a key part of this – as they date the settlement to around the same time as the Indus Valley Civilization. Stalin and his ministers had reacted sharply to the letter written by ASI Director (Exploration & Excavation) Hemasagar A Naik on May 21 asking Ramakrishna to revise his findings, citing feedback from two unnamed experts. Stalin accused the BJP of 'selectively' accepting historical narratives. 'Even when confronted with carbon-dated artefacts and AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) reports from international laboratories on the Keezhadi excavations, they continue to demand 'more proof',' he said. 'They do so without credible evidence, while dismissing the rigorously proven antiquity of Tamil culture… We fought for centuries to unearth our history. They fight every day to erase it.' Tamil Nadu Finance and Archaeology Minister Thangam Thennarasu said: 'First, they said there was nothing in Keezhadi. Then the archaeologist was transferred. Later, they refused to allocate funds. Finally, they shelved the report for two years. Now they demand more proof.' During a recent visit to Chennai, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat backed the questions raised over Ramakrishna's report, saying 'it was not technically well-supported and established yet'. 'Let them come up with more results, more data, evidence, and proof. One finding cannot change the discourse of history.' He added: 'People in positions are trying to flare up regional sentiments, but we need to be cautious. This is a subject not to be decided by politicians but by archaeologists with sound technical expertise.' Ramakrishna has stood by his findings, citing 'documentary evidence' and scientific dating methods such as AMS to show that the Sangam-era urban settlement in Keezhadi goes back to 585 BCE. This puts it contemporaneous to Indus Valley, and potentially contradicts the Sangh's theory of who the original settlers of the Indian region were. The letter by ASI Director Naik, asking Ramakrishna to revise the report, said the dating of the earliest cultural phase – between the 8th and 5th centuries BCE – required 'concrete justification', and suggested that 'in the present state of our knowledge', it could be no earlier than 300 BCE. In a written reply two days later, Ramakrishna said: 'The period of the site was reconstructed as per the stratigraphical sequence, cultural deposit available with material culture and with the AMS date found during the excavation… The outcome of the observation of the excavator was incorporated in the final report with all documentary evidence.' Ramakrishna added that relevant nomenclature changes had already been accepted and communicated in 2023. 'The view expressed by you for further examination of sequence is against the well-reasoned conclusive finding of the excavator of the site,' he wrote to Naik. Earlier, in 2017, Ramakrishna had been transferred to Assam just months after his preliminary findings from Keezhadi became known. His successor at the site dismissed the third phase of excavations as yielding 'no significant findings'. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court eventually allowed the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology to take over the dig, which is now entering its 11th phase, with over 20,000 artefacts unearthed. In September 2024, Ramakrishna was transferred after promotion to Director (Excavation & Exploration), only to be moved to Director (Antiquity) three months later.
India.com
26-05-2025
- Science
- India.com
95-Century-Old City Discovered Beneath Ocean – Oldest Civilisation Ever?
Ne Delhi: Does the story of human civilization begin where we think? Do the true origins of our societies, cultures and cities stretch back far earlier than the history books suggest and perhaps hidden beneath the very waters we see today? A startling revelation off India's western coast has led the above questions. It casts shadows over our conventional understanding of the past. An underwater site in the Gulf of Khambhat has puzzled archaeologists and scientists for more than two decades. It has stirred debate and raised the possibility of a city submerged under the ocean. Is it a myth or the elusive trace of an ancient civilization that could rewrite the timeline of human history? The Discovery That Shook History Marine researchers from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), during a routine pollution survey off India's coast in 2000, stumbled upon something remarkable. Their sonar equipment revealed geometrically structured and large formations on the seabed. It was something that defied natural explanations. It laid about 120 feet below the water's surface. Stretching over five miles in length and two miles in width, this ancient site could be older than any civilization we have historically recognised. Human remains, sculptures, ancient beads and pottery shards, the artifacts found from the depths offer tantalising clues. Carbon dating of the artifacts reveals that they are nearly 9,500 years old. The discovery pushes the boundaries of human history. This discovery, if verified, could challenge everything we thought we knew about early human settlements – especially in relation to the Indus Valley Civilization that has long been considered one of the oldest known advanced cultures. A Window Into Prehistoric Civilization Can this submerged city provide a clue to understand how early societies thrived and developed? The chief geologist for the NIOT team, Dr Badrinaryan Badrinaryan, too believes the same. According to him, the artifacts point to a civilization lost beneath water because of increasing sea levels at the end of the Ice Age. Known for its remarkable advanced culture and urban planning, this theory suggests that the Harappan civilization may have evolved from this older 'mother culture'. This, if true, may upend the prevailing belief that well-organised societies did not exist before 5500 BCE. Of course, the idea of a submerged city is not new. Myths and legends suggest that entire civilizations disappeared beneath the waves. But the discovery of such an ancient site presents a real-world mystery that potentially has enormous implications for our understanding of human development. Ongoing Debate Several scholars are convinced with the exiting discovery. Experts such as Dr. Akko Parpola and Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan have cast doubt on the interpretations. Though Dr. Mahadevan argues that certain structures seem man-made, yet he cautions that the artifacts might have been carried by ancient rivers and not necessarily pointing to a lost city. Similarly, Dr. Parpola has questioned the reliability of carbon dating. He says that natural processes might have influenced the patterns and shapes on the seafloor. The debate highlights the complexities of interpreting underwater archaeological sites. The ocean is a harsh and ever-changing environment, and distinguishing between human-made structures and natural formations is no easy task. Can This Discovery Redefine History? Can this discovery lead to rewriting of the history of early civilizations? The Gulf of Khambhat site, if confirmed, will suggest the existence of a culture far older than the Indus Valley. It can also prompt us to reevaluate the factors – which shaped ancient societies. Rising sea levels, shifting coastlines and natural disasters could have submerged civilizations long before the first written records emerged. Researchers are exploring this submerged enigma as the world watches in anticipation. The idea that ancient human civilization might have evolved in ways we have not yet fully comprehend can lead us to untold histories. The Gulf of Khambhat is considered to be the first chapter of a much larger story – which has been hidden beneath the waves for thousands of years.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Lost civilisation discovered beneath the Indian ocean could be older than the Harrappan civilisation
What if the roots of human civilization stretched back far earlier than we ever imagined so far, in fact, that entire cities may now lie forgotten beneath the sea? It sounds like something from a myth or a lost chapter of history, yet off the coast of western India, a mysterious underwater discovery has brought up this very question. Found in the gloomy depths of the Gulf of Khambhat, this ancient submerged site could potentially rewrite the timeline of civilization itself. The discovery was made more than two decades ago by Indian marine researchers and has never been conclusively accepted or rejected. But what exactly was found beneath the sea and why does it continue to stir such controversy even after 25 years? A look into prehistoric civilization In December 2000, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) made a massive discovery in the Gulf of Khambhat, off India's western coast, that happened to take place in routine pollution surveys. Sonar technology showed large, geometric structures on the seafloor, suggesting the existence of a submerged city. This alleged city is located approximately 120 feet underwater, and spans over five miles in length and two miles in width. Artifacts recovered from the site include pottery, beads, sculptures, and human remains. On being carbon-dated, it was found that these artifacts date to be nearly 9,500 years old, potentially predating the Indus Valley Civilization. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เทรดทองCFDs กับโบรกเกอร์ที่เชื่อถือได้ | เรียนรู้เพิ่มเติม IC Markets สมัคร Undo As per reports by Indy100, Dr. Badrinaryan Badrinaryan, chief geologist for NIOT's scientific team, proposed that these findings indicated the existence of an advanced civilization submerged by rising sea levels at the end of the last Ice Age. He suggested that the Harappan civilization might have descended from this "mother culture," challenging the belief that well-organized societies couldn't have existed prior to 5500 BCE. Experts like Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan and Dr. Akko Parpola have questioned the interpretations. Dr. Mahadevan acknowledged the man-made appearance of certain structures but cautioned that some artifacts might have been transported by ancient rivers. Dr. Parpola raised concerns about the reliability of carbon dating and the potential for natural processes to have shaped the site. Credits: Images generated by canva
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Haryana CM Saini inaugurates three development projects in Rakhigarhi
Chandigarh, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday inaugurated three development projects worth ₹20 crore in Hisar district's Rakhigarhi, a historic site of the Indus Valley Civilization. The projects include the construction of a rest house, a hostel, and a cafeteria at the Rakhigarhi Museum and Interpretation Centre, a proposed museum to showcase artefacts of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Saini and Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat who was also present for the event unveiled a booklet prepared on the archeological site of Rakhigarhi. Saini said that the newly developed rest house, cafeteria, and hostel will provide excellent facilities for tourists and students visiting from across the country and abroad. The 17-room rest house is equipped with modern amenities and the hostel comprises 13 dormitories for students' accommodation and a dining hall. Saini and Shekhawat also visited the exhibition organised by the Department of Archaeology and Museums. The exhibition displayed various Harappan-era artefacts discovered during excavations, including children's toys, terracotta cartwheels, lamps, terracotta beads, necklaces, and other objects. Haryana Heritage and Tourism Minister Arvind Sharma and Public Works and Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Gangwa were also present for the inauguration. After the event, the CM and the Union minister held a meeting with officers to review the plan to develop Rakhigarhi as a tourism centre,according to an official statement. Directions were issued to the concerned departments to expedite the construction work of the Rakhigarhi Museum and Interpretation Centre. They also directed that sheds be built at archaeological sites so that excavation work can continue throughout the year. They emphasised the importance of integrating the museum with the archaeological sites and preparing a detailed plan for lighting, parking, and other tourist facilities. Shekhawat said the excavations in Rakhigarhi since the 1960s have provided concrete evidence that a highly developed human civilisation once existed here. He claimed that the discoveries made during the excavations "strongly prove that India's civilisation is the oldest in the world". The minister expressed satisfaction with the Haryana government's efforts in developing Rakhigarhi into a major tourism and research hub for archaeologists and historians. The development work at the site is scheduled to be completed in various phases, he said.
