New Delhi February 6, 2023: Badshapur Tethar village in Sohna, India has recently been the site of a groundbreaking discovery in the field of archaeology. Stone carvings, believed to date back to the Paleolithic period, have been found scattered on a hillock, offering valuable insights into the early development of human civilization.
The petroglyphs, which include graffiti, hand and footprints of humans and animals engraved on quartzite rocks, have been confirmed by a team of archaeologists to date back to the Paleolithic era. This period spans from about 25 lakh years to 10,000 BP, and the latest findings are thought to be over 10,000 BP old. The exact date of the carvings, however, will be determined through a future survey.
The site, located just 6km from Mangar where similar cave paintings were discovered in 2021, was brought to the attention of the archaeological department by Sunil Harsana, an ecologist and wildlife researcher. The journey to the site is an arduous one, but the effort is worth it as the carvings are clearly visible despite the weathering of the rocks over time.
Banani Bhattacharyya, deputy director of the Haryana directorate of archaeology and museums, commented on the significance of the discovery: "These findings are remarkable examples of Indian prehistory. They mark the progress of human civilization. Most of the carvings are of animal paws and human footprints. There are some basic symbols, which had presumably been kept for some special purpose."
Divay Gupta, an adviser to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), added: "These petroglyphs are highly significant, considering their antiquity can go to prehistory. These can be territorial, or used for ancient games or record-keeping. It is, however, difficult to date them exactly or ascribe them a definite function at the moment. But further studies should be done on them."
MD Sinha, the principal secretary (archaeology and museums), stated that the Badshapur Tethar site is part of the region referred to as the cradle of human civilization and that further research will be carried out. The Aravalis have been the subject of pre-historic research for several decades, and similar carvings have been found in the past, including in Kot village of Faridabad and Anangpur area of Faridabad in 1986.
This latest discovery in the Indian Aravalis provides valuable insight into the early development of human civilization and raises the possibility of further treasures waiting to be discovered in the ancient ranges.
The Aravali Hills, located in northern India, are a range of mountains that hold a rich trove of history. The hills span across several states in India, including Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, and have been a subject of archaeological and historical interest for many years.
The hills have evidence of human habitation dating back to the Paleolithic era, as confirmed by recent discoveries of stone carvings, petroglyphs, and cave paintings. In 2021, a 5,000-hectare site in Faridabad's Mangar was discovered, containing cave paintings, rock shelters, and tools believed to be from the same period.
These findings provide important insights into the progress of early human civilization and tool-making capabilities. The exact age of these discoveries is yet to be determined, but they are believed to be more than 10,000 years old.
In addition to the Paleolithic discoveries, the Aravalis have evidence of pre-Vedic and Vedic existence, making the region a cradle of human civilization. The department of archaeology and museums in the region plans to carry out further surveys and research to uncover more treasures of human history in the Aravali Hills.