2,000 year old Relics of ‘Modern Society’ Found in MP’s Bandhavgarh Tige...

New archaeological explorations in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh National Park have unearthed relics of a “modern society” that likely used the present-day tiger habitat as an old trade route — some two millennia ago.

According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, this trade route traverses through what we now call the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve — a treasure trove of historical finds where a 1,500-year-old rock painting and a 2,000-year-old man-made waterbody were recently discovered.

Shivakant Bajpai, a superintendent archaeologist for ASI Jabalpur Circle, told TOI that ongoing excavations at the site have uncovered “evidence” of sophistication that was present thousands of years ago.

"The presence of the waterbodies built at a height and used for collecting rainwater suggests the habitation had a modern society,” he explained. “The waterbodies could be 1,800-2,000 years old, but evidence suggests there was some renovation 1,000 years ago.”

Recent explorations in the Tala range of Bandhavgarh have uncovered 11 rock-cut caves used by traders of the time for shelter. One of these caves houses the Golden Age painting, which archaeologists believe depicts an animal.

Incredibly, the 15-centuries-old rock art is the first ever found in the area.

“What’s unique about this rock art is that it was found in a rock-cut cave,” Bajpai said. “Usually, such rock art is found in natural caves or overhangs.”

In May-June 2022, during the first exploration phase, the ASI discovered 26 temples/relics and as many Buddhist caves, alongside monasteries, stupas, dozens of artefacts and waterworks of the era.

Caves found at the site in Umaria, MP, were likely built between the 2nd and 5th century BCE, and their varied sizes are indicative of some kind of social hierarchy among their inhabitants.

The ongoing survey began on April 1 and will go on until June 30, possibly laying bare some more fascinating secrets about the modern society that existed in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

Hashtags: #Archaeology #TradeRoute #BandhavgarhNationalPark #AncientCivilization #MadhyaPradesh #ASI #RockPainting #BuddhistCaves

Tags: Archaeological Survey of India, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, Ancient Civilization, Trade Route, Rock Painting, Buddhist Caves, Stupas, Monasteries, Artefacts, Waterworks.