Remains Of 2000-Year-Old 'Modern Society' Discovered By ASI In MP's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered the remains of a forgotten "modern society" that existed in the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
The discoveries include paintings and man-made waterbodies dating thousands of years.
What ASI found in?Bandhavgarh
According to the ASI, for the first time, a rock painting estimated to be around 1,500 years old was discovered inside the Tala range of Bandhavgarh.
"Rock painting has been found for the first time in the area. It is not a historic-era painting but could be roughly 1,500 years old. The painting is still being studied. It possibly depicts an animal,"?Dr Shivakant Bajpai, Superintending Archaeologist at ASI's Jabalpur Circle, told The Times of India.
Why is it important?
What makes it even more interesting is that the painting was found in a rock-cut cave and not in a natural cave or overhang.
Another remarkable discovery is man-made waterbodies which the ASI said were evidence of a "modern society".
"The presence of numerous (man-made) waterbodies suggests a modern society. The waterbodies found this time were made at a height and used for collecting rainwater. They could be roughly 1,800-2,000 years old. Evidence suggests some sort of renovation around 1,000 years ago," Bajpai said.
During its survey in April, other than the paintings and water bodies, the ASI also found several caves.
ASI survey in 2022
In 2022 too, the ASI, during a survey,?found several structures and caves in Bandhavgarh, dating back thousands of years.
Those were mostly Buddhist and Hindu structures and temples, but the recently found caves were rock-cut and used for residential purposes.
According to ASI, Bandhavgarh was most likely part of an old trade route, with passing traders using rock-cut caves as shelters.
The relics discovered in 2022 included many ancient sculptures, including large monolithic ones of various avatars of Lord Vishnu like 'Varaha' and 'Matsya', and "board games made in natural caves".
They also found the mention of ancient cities like Mathura and Kaushambi, Pavata (Parvata), Vejabharada and Sepatanaairikaa in the inscription on the caves in Brahmi script.
A total of twenty-four Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 2nd-5th century AD were documented in 2022.
The time period of the findings covers the reigns of the kings Shri Bhimsena, Maharaja Pothasiri, and Maharaja Bhattadeva.
The archaeological exploration in 2022 was the first such exercise carried out in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, located about 500 km from Bhopal, in over 80 years.
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