Gurugram: A recent excavation in Mangar Bani forest in the historic Aravalli Hills of the National Capital Region has unearthed prehistoric tools, offering a glimpse into early human life during the Lower Palaeolithic age. Led by former ASI official SB Ota, the excavation uncovered tools likely used for butchering, scraping, and sharpening, showcasing the ingenuity of early Stone Age communities.Ota, along with his colleague Niharika, studied the Stone Age culture, finding high-quality tools in the forest area. Initially, much was unexposed, but their intensive search yielded significant discoveries. The site, which was untouched and largely unexplored, now offers a vital link to prehistoric human activity in the region. In under a week, over 200 tools were found along forest trails and exposed patches — daily finds ranged from 30 to 80 artefacts, with many more left behind due to their sheer abundance.The discovery of tools at this site is seen as a major contribution to understanding early human settlement and tool-making in the Indian subcontinent. Joint Director General of ASI, Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu said, “Manger Bani area is a pre-historic area and after seeing the tools that have been found, it can be said that these are fresh. It means that these ancient tools were made here. He added, "As Dr. SB Ota has said, it was a factory site – so it means that people were staying here, they were not just using these tools, because raw materials were also available here. The entire region contains sandstone that people used during ancient times to make tools. This is important as this proves that there was a human settlement in the region for many years.”
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00:00A recent excavation in Mangarbani Forest settled in the historic Aravali Hills of the NCR has
00:15unearthed hundreds of prehistoric tools offering a glimpse into early human life during the lower
00:21Paleolithic age. Led by former ASI official S.B. Ota, the excavation uncovered tools likely used
00:29for butchering, scraping and sharpening, showcasing the ingenuity of early Stone Age communities.
00:36The Stone Age culture is the oldest thing we believe in our country. So we keep our expertise
00:46with our colleague Niharika. So we have to look at that one, two days ago, when we intensively
00:58the whole area. Particularly the tracks, because there is already a forest, there are not many
01:06things exposed. The forest tracks are exposed. There are so many tools that we are really overwhelmed.
01:20Once untouched and largely unexplored, the site now offers a vital link to prehistoric human
01:29activity in the region. In under a week, over 200 tools were found along forest trails and exposed
01:36patches. Daily finds ranged from 30 to 80 artefacts, with many more left behind due to their sheer abundance.
01:44It means that our eyes were choked. Some days there were 80 artefacts. One day we got more than 80,
01:56one day we got more than 50, and we didn't get all of them. Some days we got more than 30.
02:02Two days there were 30. So after 5-6 days, there were more than 200 artefacts that they picked.
02:09So basically, this is the Mangarbania and the forest of Bandwadi, which is the district of
02:15Gurdgaon and Mangar. So this is a very rich paleolithic site. And as you may say, this is
02:215-2,000,000 years old. It's their approximate age.
02:26Mangarbania is the whole area. This is a prehistoric area. The tools are here, where they are also
02:33prepared. So they are also prepared. So they see and understand that they are very fresh. It means that
02:39they were made here. And as I said, Dr. S. V. Ota, it was a factory site. So this is a factory site.
02:48It means that people were here, but they didn't use the raw material here. So this is a whole
02:57of Kshitra sandstone. So now they were made here. They were made here. They were made here.
03:05They were made here. So they were made here. So they were made here.
03:09So it is important to see that the human settlement occupation has been here for many years.
03:17Further study will determine the exact age of the tools, but their discovery is already seen as a
03:23major contribution to understanding early human settlement and tool making in the Indian subcontinent.