NAGPUR, January 23: Vidarbhaites can be proud of the fact that Mansar, 40 kms from Nagpur, was inhabited by pre-historic man as far back as 2.5 lakh years ago. The discovery brings Vidarbha region on par with one of the oldest inhabited areas in the country.Speaking to The Indian Express, A K Sharma, who is jointly conducting the excavation with Jagatpati Joshi, retired director general, Archaeological Survey of India, said the ancient stone tools discovered during excavations prove beyond doubt that human beings lived and hunted in Mansar area. Earlier, stone tools ranging to a period of 80,000 to 30,000 years back, had been discovered at the same spot.Incidentally, the excavation has been undertaken by the Bodhisatva Nagarjun Memorial Sanstha and Research Centre to unearth a stupa in Mansar area.The tools discovered at Mansar are shaped out of cryto-crystalline quartz and comprise of hand-axes, cleavers, choppers, discoids, sharp edged points, etc, belong to the early Acheulian phase of early Stone Age.Similar Acheulian tools were discovered by Sharma in Aravali Hills near Delhi where they were shaped out of quartzite sand stone, quartzite, and to some percentage, quartz.Generally, it is difficult to shape tools out of quartz as it develops coincided fractures. However, as all the tools discovered so far from Mansar have been made from quartz nodules, it proves that the inhabitants of Mansar had tremendous control over this technology.Sharma claims Mansar is one of the few cities in the Indian sub-continent where remains of civilisation right from the early stone age to historical times are available at the same site. The area around Mansar lake was ideal for inhabitation as all facilities of perennial water supply, food, animals and raw materials for making stone tools, were available in plenty, according to Sharma.A copper coin of Bahamani period has also been discovered at the site. As excavations progress, the team expects to unearth a 2,500-year-old Buddhist stupa. Sharma and Joshi hope the Maharashtra government will take special interest in developing the Mansar area as a good cultural and tourist centre considering its historical value. Sharma thanked Arya Surai Sasai for initiating the excavation project. If more funds are made available by the government, ruins of Buddhist structures akin to Nalanda in Bihar could be discovered, he said.
