Gujarat: Ancient Indian skeleton still waits for permanent address

Six decades after it was discovered, a 1, 000 year old human skull buried sitting cross-legged in India is still without a gallery to house it due to governmental fighting.

In northern Gujarat position, archaeologist Abhijit Ambekar discovered what appeared to be the top of a human skull in the year 2019.

As his staff dug deeper, they discovered the well-preserved bones in a pit, which appeared to be in a meditative pose. Just three different locations in India have discovered related remains.

However, there is still a contentious discussion over who should command the skull. It is still housed in a temporary house close to the opening of a regional archaeology museum.

According to Abhijit Ambekar, the skeleton discovered in the village of Vadnagar is most likely from the Solanki era. Between 940 and 1300 CE, the Solanki kingdom, also known as the Chaulukya kingdom, ruled over large areas of contemporary Gujarat.

The spider’s right shoulder protruded forward while its remaining arm protruded forward as though it were resting on a stick.

The skull is a very priceless find, not just for Vadnagar but for the entire nation. According to Dr. Ambekar, who leads the group that found the skull and leads the Archaeology Survey of India ( ASI) section in Mumbai, it can help us understand how our ancestors lived and uncover details about the past that are still unexplored.

Despite its historical significance, it appears to have been burdened by bureaucracy that it is however to find a suitable resting place.

Mr. Ambekar claims that the Gujarat government intended to house all the excavated artifacts in regional exhibitions.

The skull, among other things, was among the approximately 9, 000 documents that the ASI excavated from Vadnagar between 2016 and 2022 and had been given to the Gujarat state, according to him.

The condition government claims that the skull is still in the hands of the ASI.

It was not the bone that was placed in the museum because suitable procedure was not followed, according to Pankaj Sharma, chairman of the state’s Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, to the BBC.

The chairman standard of the ASI, Yadubir Singh Rawat, did not respond to the BBC’s inquiries on the subject.

Authorities are working on moving the bone to a museum as soon as possible, according to M. Thennarasan, deputy secretary of the government’s Sports, Youth, and Cultural Activities Department.

According to Mr. Ambekar, the bone excavation process took two weeks, adding that it was time-consuming. The skeleton was carefully removed from its ancient tomb using a variety of tools.

It is currently residing in a canvas house in Vadnagar, exposed by security personnel and exposed to the elements. Visitors occasionally bring friends and family members to the site of the skull, which has raised questions about the area, which is also the birth of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The fresh Archaeological Experiential Museum, inaugurated by India’s home secretary in January, is just a short distance away.

The museum, which covers 12, 500 square meters, was constructed at a cost of$ 35 million, according to a government press release. It boasts that it exhibits” Vadnagar’s 2, 500-year-old history with over 5, 000 artefacts, including ceramics, coins, tools, and skeletal remains.”

The skeleton is framed in a large frame, but the museum does not have the actual remains.

Vadnagar is a region of Gujarat with a history, and digging by the ASI have discovered traces of human towns dating back more than 2, 000 years. According to Mr. Ambekar, there are still remnants of an earth wall that the state’s original settlers believed to have constructed.

Additionally, excavations have discovered remnants of ancient Buddhist pyramids and temples. These discoveries, along with others like porcelain figurines, coins, surface jewelry, and rock and brass plate inscriptions, have helped historians discover seven distinct cultural periods in the area, dating from around the 2nd Century BCE all the way up to the 19th Century CE.

According to Mr. Ambekar, the skeleton’s time was determined based on a geological study of the construction site and a DNA evaluation of its teeth. To determine the age of rock deposits or levels of earth, strata involves studying them. The history of historical events or the estimated age of artefacts are therefore derived from this information.

The DNA research indicates that the skull is of local heritage and belongs to a gentleman in his thirties, but more research needs to be done to understand his diet and lifestyle, which will in turn help us understand the area as it was 1, 000 years ago, he says.

It might also help explain the process of” samadhi tombs,” an ancient burial custom practice among Hindus that allowed revered figures to be buried rather than be cremated, Mr. Ambekar says.

He adds that the skull had survived the passage of time because the land surrounding it had remained moist and had features that prevented skeletal decay.

It was difficult to move the skull to where it is now after removing it from the page. Second, the ground around it was cut out to make room for a block of earth with the bone inside. To help solidify the structures, various chemicals were used to encase the soil and skeleton. The wall of earth was subsequently moved to its present location using a crane and placed inside a wooden box filled with slippery mud.

According to Mr. Ambekar, the complete operation took six days to complete.

He anticipates that soon the skeleton may consider a home in a museum. He adds that in order to avoid the bone from decomposing, it will need to have controls over the space’s temperature and humidity.

Visitors who spoke to the BBC spoke to the same opinions and held the skeleton’s back-and-forth on “red tapeism.”

Although Vadnagar’s old story is celebrated, the treatment of a 1, 000-year-old bone is deeply concerning. If the most distinctive civilization is left outside under a plastic roof, what good is the level of building a museum? Jesang Thakor, a native of Vardnagar, said.

Bethaji Thakor, a citizen, expressed his hope that Vadnagar’s bone would attract tourists from all over the world.

Where else can you find something like this?”