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Archaeologists discover 3,000-5,000-year-old skeletons in Karnataka’s Tekkalakota; first in over 6 decades
Tekkalakota is a significant archaeological site due to evidence of continuous human habitation in the area from the Neolithic period (3000-1200 BCE) up to the modern age, spanning over 5 millennia.
The fossilised human remains discovered at Tekkalakota in Karnataka. (Special Arrangement)
Fossilised human remains estimated to be 3,000-5,000 years old were found during excavation at Tekkalakota in Karnataka’s Ballari district Sunday.
One skeleton’s remains are complete with teeth, while the other is a partial skeleton of the lower human body.
These are the first human fossil remains found at Tekkalakota in over six decades. The panchayat-town is a significant archaeological site due to evidence of continuous human habitation in the area from the Neolithic period (3000-1200 BCE) up to the modern period, spanning over five millennia.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Shejeshwar R of the Department of Archaeology, Museums, and Heritage said the remains were found in one of the four spots currently being excavated near the town. “The last time human fossil remains were found at Tekkalakota was back in 1963-64,” he said.
Over the coming days, a research team will recover fossils from the site for further analysis. Shejeshwar estimated that removing the preserved skeleton would take three to four days. “Though we will know the exact figures once a final report is out, preliminary estimates are that the bones belonged to humans buried around 3,000 to 5,000 years ago,” he said.
The excavation has been ongoing for close to a year now. The Department is assisting researchers from Hartwick College, USA, in carrying out archaeological studies at the site.
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