Buried for 4,500 years: Rajasthan dig uncovers evidence of lost civilisation

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed a 4,500-year-old civilisation in Rajasthan, discovering statues, utensils and metal weapons dating back to the Mahabharata era and the Maurya and Shunga dynasties.

During the research, ASI identified a spot in Bahaj village in Deeg district, around 40 kilometres from Bharatpur, where some evidence related to ancient civilisation was found.

Notably, Bahaj village is a significant spot as it is a part of the Braj region, which also comprises Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

After getting permission from the government, the ASI team started excavation in Bahaj village in January. During the excavation that went on for about six months, ASI officials found statues, utensils and metal weapons dating back to as early as 2,500 BC.

A human skeleton was found during the excavation and was sent to Israel to ascertain how old it was.

The statues found in the excavation were sent to the Archaeological Department in Jaipur and some of them were kept in the museum of Deeg Jal Mahal and others.

"After getting permission from the government, the department conducted a survey for the excavation that began on January 10. We achieved success during the excavation and it will be continued further. There are chances of finding more evidence of ancient civilisation," said Dr Vinay Gupta, the Director of Archaeological Department, Jaipur.

Earlier, the ASI conducted excavation in Nauh village of Bharatpur tehsil from 1961 to 1963 to collect evidence of ancient civilisation in the area.

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(with inputs from Suresh Foujdar in Bharatpur)