Stone Age secrets: Ancient tool-making site discovered in Haryana's Mangar Bani
Gurgaon: Modern-day Haryana has met its prehistoric past in the forests of Mangar Bani. Hidden within the folds of the Aravali hills lies evidence of humanity's earliest toolmakers — a 500,000-year-old workshop that's possibly the oldest in north India.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The discovery — confirmed by the former joint director-general of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) SB Ota — has taken the lid off a treasure trove of
Lower Palaeolithic artifacts
dating back to humanity's earliest known phase of development — the Acheulean culture.
"We're peering through a window that opens half a million years into our past. Mangar Bani isn't just another prehistoric site, it's a complete workshop where our ancestors crafted their tools, lived, and thrived," said Ota, who led the survey.
The survey, however, traces its roots to the early 90s, when the ASI team conducted a small-scale excavation in Anangpur. "After that, there was a gap. And now, we are starting again," he added.
The weeklong exploration unveiled a collection of over 200 artefacts, including stone tools that bear testament to the presence of Homo erectus — a human species from the Pleistocene age. These ancient craftsmen worked primarily with locally sourced sandstone and quartzite, turning them into cleavers, handaxes, and various types of scrapers.
What makes this discovery particularly significant is the presence of both finished tools and manufacturing debris — or "lithic debitage" — scattered across the site. "It tells us this wasn't just a place where tools were used, but where they were born," Ota said.
The archaeological team conducted the surveys in Mangar Bani, the surrounding hills and nearby Bandhwari. Apart from Ota, the team included his colleague Niharika Srivastava from the Academy for Archaeological Heritage Research and Training; Chetan Agarwal, a senior fellow; and Sunil Harsana, a researcher associated with the Centre for Ecology, Development and Research.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
"The tools we discovered were likely used for a variety of tasks — from butchering animals and cutting trees to cleaning hides and polishing wood. The level of refinement in these tools suggests this site could have existed in the later part of the Acheulean period. So, its estimated age could well be around 500,000 to 200,000 years," Ota said.
While Attirampakkam near Chennai is currently the oldest known Acheulian site in India at 1.7 million years old, Mangar Bani is among the most important for this cultural phase in north India, given its tool-making evidence and strategic location in the Aravali hill range.
The team plans to submit a preliminary report to Haryana govt within the next month, advocating for legal and environmental protection of the site. Currently, Mangar Bani and its surrounding Aravalis are part of the Natural Conservation Zone, which restricts construction around it, but lacks formal heritage protection.
The site lies near the now-defunct Mangar Nallah, a seasonal stream that may have provided water for early human settlers the year round.
"The hilltops here are flat, close to raw materials, and would have supported a range of prehistoric activities. It's a textbook example of an ideal Stone Age settlement site," said Chetan Agarwal.
Ota agreed that a more detailed and scientific analysis of the site was required, including sampling of sediments to ascertain the date. "This is not just a site of national importance, but of global significance. It deserves protection, study, and recognition," he added.
The ASI, however, has no immediate plans to protect the site. "Right now, we haven't had any requests like that. If we do, we will act on it," said Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, the current joint director-general of ASI.
Bhattacharya, however, agreed that the Mangar Bani sites were of utmost importance.
"The Lower Paleolithic tools and stone tools found here signify the earliest type of human occupation. Moreover, there are a few rock shelters with painted walls in Mangar, which are equally significant as well.
We have another important site in Anangpur, where we found evidence of factories," she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
The age of historical disagreements
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 9, 2025)In times when historical controversies can raise enough dust to bury entire civilisations, the ancient Tamil site of Keezhadi has re-emerged as a flashpoint. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has asked the site's lead archaeologist to revise his final report of January 2023—essentially, to locate the site on a much later timeline than the 6th-8th century BC originally suggested by the has sparked fresh allegations of political interference in historical research. 'Post-dating' the site would take away all the excitement from a discovery that had conferred greater civilisational depth to Tamil Nadu, pushing back its Sangam era by three K. Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led the early phases of excavation, has rejected the ASI's demand, stating that he stands by his 982-page report. His conclusions, he says, were based on unimpeachable scientific methods like stratigraphy and accelerator mass spectrometry. The state of the art in radiocarbon dating, the latter method has a precision of 40 years for recent antiquity. A MATTER OF TIMETo be sure, Keezhadi still awaits full scholarly consensus, specifically on whether the prime evidence for antiquity—potsherds with early Tamil inscriptions—are coeval with the carbon-dated charcoal layers. Also, whether its ceramic style accords with ancient Tamil Nadu's pottery chronology. But the ASI's May 2025 letter doesn't just seek corroboration. It calls for 'necessary corrections' and insists the earliest layer not be dated before 300 BC. Ramakrishna isn't the only one who spies a prejudicial edge in the ASI adopting such an approach to 'well-reasoned findings'. For many in the South, it's part of a broader pattern—one where 'science is subordinated to ideology, and archaeological evidence inconvenient to the dominant historical narrative is sidelined'.advertisement Keezhadi offers signs of a literate, urban Tamil civilisation along the Vaigai river dating back over 2,600 years. Nearby sites like Agaram and Konthagai buttress that idea, with some lines of inquiry even suggesting possible evolutionary links of early Tamil-Brahmi to the Indus script. The trouble this runs into, of course, is that it challenges the Centre's Vedic-centred view of antiquity. Hence, the ASI missive is seen by many experts less as pure academic scrutiny, more as a formal curb on the kind of story Keezhadi can tell. If fully unfurled, that narrative can subvert the privileged space conferred on the Vedic/Sanskritic lineage, suggesting a parallel civilisational track in the South—with its own language, script and cultural norms. A putative continuum with Harappa would deepen that as Keezhadi's findings were gaining national and international attention, Ramakrishna was abruptly transferred from Tamil Nadu to Assam in 2017 and ASI-led excavations slowed, later declaring no significant discoveries. In response, the state archaeology department took over Keezhadi work. Over time, that unearthed over 7,500 artefacts that buttressed Ramakrishna's hasn't been enough, it seems, to persuade New Delhi. 'The ASI has never been eager to acknowledge Keezhadi's truths,' says CPI(M) MP and writer S. Venkatesan, who has written extensively on Keezhadi. 'The BJP pushes mythology as history, but it works just as hard to erase our real past. But Tamil antiquity cannot be erased by government order.'BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan counters that the Centre had funded the initial excavation. 'The report was likely returned for administrative reasons, perhaps to avoid future questions,' she says. In response, Venkatesan asks: 'Why did you stop funding? If an excavation yields nothing, you may stop. But Keezhadi yielded everything. You stopped because what was discovered unsettled the very history you have been narrating.'Subscribe to India Today Magazine
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Astrolabe found at Raigad Fort to be displayed at Mumbai's museum soon
1 2 3 4 Kolhapur: The Archaeological Survey of India and the Raigad Development Authority's joint excavation has unearthed a 'yantraraj' (astrolabe) at Raigad, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj 's capital fort. Excavations conducted over three to four years at approximately 10 to 12 locations, spanning from the ropeway upper station to Kushavarta lake, and from the marketplace to the Jagdishwar temple, revealed structures from Shivaji Maharaj's period. The ancient yantraraj was found near a historic mansion above Kushavarta lake, situated between the rain gauge and Wadeshwar temple, though its recent disclosure came years after its discovery. The upper surface of the astrolabe features inscriptions, including two animal engravings in the centre resembling a tortoise or snake. The inscribed words "mukh" and "poonchh" indicate the head and tail positions, presumably used for determining north-south orientations. An ASI senior officer, speaking anonymously, said, "The rectangle-shaped instrument has inscriptions in the Sanskrit language and in Devanagari script — Shaka 1519 — meaning it was made in 1597 as per the English calendar and was used at the time Raigad was renovated in 1656 and where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was coronated in 1674. The astrolabe found is made of copper-bronze, and such astrolabes were common during that time, especially used by astrologers and seafarers to gaze at the stars and find directions through calculations. " The fort's conservation efforts have yielded various artefacts, including Shivrais (coins minted by Shivaji Maharaj), utensils made of glass and clay, weapons, and lamps, all currently held by ASI Mumbai Circle. According to an ASI source, the astrolabe will undergo chemical treatment for preservation before being exhibited in Mumbai's museum. Raigad stands as a testament to Maratha architectural excellence and strategic planning. Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, who heads the Raigad Development Authority, said, "The fort seems to have been built by studying astronomical sciences, as shown by the finding of the astrolabe. The instrument was used to find the latitude, longitude, and several other things to determine the locations. Further study of the instrument will shed more light on the administration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. " Kolhapur: The Archaeological Survey of India and the Raigad Development Authority's joint excavation has unearthed a 'yantraraj' (astrolabe) at Raigad, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's capital fort. Excavations conducted over three to four years at approximately 10 to 12 locations, spanning from the ropeway upper station to Kushavarta lake, and from the marketplace to the Jagdishwar temple, revealed structures from Shivaji Maharaj's period. The ancient yantraraj was found near a historic mansion above Kushavarta lake, situated between the rain gauge and Wadeshwar temple, though its recent disclosure came years after its discovery. The upper surface of the astrolabe features inscriptions, including two animal engravings in the centre resembling a tortoise or snake. The inscribed words "mukh" and "poonchh" indicate the head and tail positions, presumably used for determining north-south orientations. An ASI senior officer, speaking anonymously, said, "The rectangle-shaped instrument has inscriptions in the Sanskrit language and in Devanagari script — Shaka 1519 — meaning it was made in 1597 as per the English calendar and was used at the time Raigad was renovated in 1656 and where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was coronated in 1674. The astrolabe found is made of copper-bronze, and such astrolabes were common during that time, especially used by astrologers and seafarers to gaze at the stars and find directions through calculations. " The fort's conservation efforts have yielded various artefacts, including Shivrais (coins minted by Shivaji Maharaj), utensils made of glass and clay, weapons, and lamps, all currently held by ASI Mumbai Circle. According to an ASI source, the astrolabe will undergo chemical treatment for preservation before being exhibited in Mumbai's museum. Raigad stands as a testament to Maratha architectural excellence and strategic planning. Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, who heads the Raigad Development Authority, said, "The fort seems to have been built by studying astronomical sciences, as shown by the finding of the astrolabe. The instrument was used to find the latitude, longitude, and several other things to determine the locations. Further study of the instrument will shed more light on the administration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "
India.com
5 days ago
- India.com
Scientists discover 140000-year-old lost city in..., its history will leave you in fear
Scientists discover 140000-year-old lost city in..., its history will leave you in fear Scientists around the world are constantly exploring the mysteries of the past, and a recent discovery near Indonesia's Java Island has revealed something fascinating. Over 6,000 fossils have been recovered from the ocean floor, including bones of the extinct human ancestor species, Homo erectus. This discovery suggests that there was an unknown population of Homo erectus living in Southeast Asia, possibly interacting with early modern humans. What makes this find even more unique is that it's the first time fossils have been unearthed from the sunken parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Around 140,000 years ago, sea levels were much lower, and islands like Java were connected to the Asian mainland through a region known as Sundaland. This region was rich with grasslands, rivers, and wildlife. Newly found fossils show that those rivers were home to fish, turtles, river sharks, and even hippos. On land, elephants, buffaloes, and a now-extinct elephant-like animal called stegodon roamed the area. Homo erectus likely lived and hunted in these fertile lands, particularly between Java and Madura islands, an area now submerged and known as the Madura Strait. Some of the fossils bear cut marks, indicating that early human relatives in this region hunted turtles and large animals. These marks provide the oldest known evidence of turtle hunting in Southeast Asia. Fossil clues also suggest that these early hominins hunted animals similar to modern cows. Interestingly, this type of hunting was more common among early modern humans living on the Asian mainland. This raises the possibility that Homo erectus may have learned these techniques from other human species they came into contact with. Who Were the Homo Erectus? Homo erectus holds a very important place in the story of human evolution. This ancient species appeared around 2 million years ago and was the first of our ancestors to have a body structure similar to modern humans. They were also the first human species to leave Africa and travel all the way to Southeast Asia. Along the way, other ancient human species like the Neanderthals and Denisovans also appeared in different parts of the world, including parts of Asia. However, scientists still don't know for sure how much interaction happened between these different species. According to research, Homo erectus lived on the Indonesian island of Java until about 117,000 to 108,000 years ago, after which they went extinct. Much later, around 77,000 years ago, our own species Homo sapiens arrived in Southeast Asia.
