In the Indian state of West Bengal, archaeologists discovered small stone weapons and other artifacts that are 15000-20000 years old. These artifacts belong to the stone-age and provide evidence of human existence in the area. Finding such evidences is a rare occurrence in the Gangetic plains.
The area is situated in the district of Murshidabad near Bangladesh. BBC reports:
The weapons - which include small axes - were discovered at Ekani-Chandpara village near Sagardighi, which is an ancient site.
This is one of a number of pots found at the site
Archaeologists say the weapons were found from a soil layer belonging to the mid-Pleistocene period - much below the Holocene layer where present human habitation takes place.
"We have not only discovered the weapons at this site, but raw materials and the scraps were also found," Dr Gautam Sengupta, director of the State Archaeology Department, told the BBC.
On the other hand, archaeologists in Bangladesh have dug out a new brick built structure belonging to the Hindu-Buddhist era. The structure was discovered in the Paharpur world heritage site of Dinajpur. According to the director of Archaeology, the recently found structures belong to the pre-Pala era. He believed that it was a Jain temple. Famous archeologist K.N Dixit opined that there used to be a Jain Temple in that area but no traces have been found so far.
Bangladesh has a rich historical background. Still now, there are many places containing structures of the ancient period and many structures are not maintained properly. Bangladesh government and other private and international organizations should come forward and work for maintaining and discovering these sites. It will not only enrich Bangladesh’s image but would also reveal a lot about the history of the ancient civilizations.
Related articles:
BBC
MSN
Comment Preview