NAGPUR, Jan 17: Archaeologists have made a startling discovery which could well take the history of this area back by a couple of thousand years -- literally. Recently, while carrying out excavations to unearth stupa and temple complex in Mansar, archaelogists stumbled upon stone tools of the pre-historic man ranging from a period of 80,000 years to 30,000 years.A K Sharma, director of the project which is jointly-led by Jagat Pati Joshi, retired director general, Archaeological Survey of India, said the discovery of these tools from Mansar near Ramtek shows that the area was inhabited by early man about 80,000 years back. The place then went on to become an important Buddhist and Brahmanical centre during Mauryan period and Wakataka period. More discoveries of similar tools of even earlier period is expected in further excavations, said Sharma.
According to him, the tools belong to the middle Stone Age and late Stone Age period. The tools comprise of axes, arrow heads, points, burins, scrapers,
cleavers, borers shaped out of fine grained quartzite and quartz modules, chert and chalcedony. The hilly area around Mansar lake, was an ideal place for early man to live as all the conditions like perennial supply of water, food and raw materials for making stone tools were available in the area in plenty. ``The fact that quartz veins of very fine quality are present in nature at Mansar, clearly states that more quartz tools are likely to be discovered in further excavations,'' said Sharma.
The tools were used for hunting and digging out roots and tubers. As the middle stone age man advanced his technique in tool making, he started making microlithic tools around 30,000 years back which heralded the beginning of Microlitic Age. As quartzite was not suitable for making slightly advanced tools, he then began using chalcedony and chert apart from quartz.
The tools discovered also throw light on the life styles of those people. Pre-historic man was a vegetarian and preferred not to risk life and limb
hunting animals.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
