Underwater site in Gulf of Khambhat could rewrite history of civilisation, say researchers
Could human civilisation be far older than we’ve believed? A submerged site off India’s western coast is raising that possibility.
Discovered in the depths of the Gulf of Khambhat, this mysterious underwater location has sparked intense debate among archaeologists and historians, with some suggesting it could be older than the Harappan civilisation, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Discovery in gulf of khambhat sparks questions about lost civilisations and ancient human history. The site, located about 120 feet underwater, was discovered by Indian researchers from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in December 2000 during a routine marine pollution survey.
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Using sonar equipment, the team identified large geometric structures that appeared to resemble a city layout
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Spanning five miles in length and two miles in width, the underwater formation also yielded artifacts such as pottery, beads, sculptures, and even human remains
Carbon dating of these artifacts revealed ages of nearly 9,500 years, suggesting the site could predate the Indus Valley or Harappan civilisation by several millennia. If validated, this would radically alter the accepted timeline of organised human society in the region.
Dr. Badrinaryan Badrinaryan, the former chief geologist on the NIOT team, has argued that these structures belonged to a sophisticated prehistoric society, possibly submerged at the end of the last Ice Age due to rising sea levels. He speculated that this could represent a “mother culture” from which the Harappans evolved, challenging the widely held belief that complex civilisations did not exist before 5500 BCE.
However, many experts remain cautious. Renowned epigraphist Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan acknowledged the man-made appearance of some structures but warned that artifacts might have been relocated by ancient rivers. Finnish Indologist Dr. Asko Parpola also questioned the reliability of the carbon dating and suggested that natural formations could have contributed to the structures’ appearance.
While conclusive evidence is still lacking, the site continues to fuel intrigue and calls for further investigation. With potentially far-reaching implications, this submerged city remains one of the most controversial and tantalising mysteries in the history of ancient human civilisation.