To Chandigarh with love: City allowed to keep fossils found at Shivalik foothills

“We are grateful to the society for allowing us to keep the fossils permanently in the museum,” said UT home secretary Anurag Agarwal, adding that the fossils have become a major attraction at the museum.

These fossils were first put on display for French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The society later allowed them to keep the archaeological findings on display for a few more months.

The fossils found from the foothills of the Himalayas suggests that human activity possibly dated back to 2.6 million years ago, making them among the oldest known remnants of human existence. This significant discovery is the result of seven years of extensive research and collaboration between the Prehistory Department of the National Museum of Natural History of France and the Society of Archaeological and Anthropological Research, Chandigarh.

The archaeological discovery comprises1,500 fossil finds, including 200 quartzite tools collected from several locations spread over 50 acres of area in Masol region in Mohali. The research work relating to this archaeological discovery is being published in the form of articles in the Palevol Review.

With a history museum proposed to come up at Sarangpur village, the Chandigarh administration has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking financial assistance under Museum Grant Scheme. The estimated cost of the project is said to around Rs 15 crore.