The ancient Indian skeleton is still waiting for a permanent address

A 1000-year-old human skeleton, buried, sitting with his legs crossed in India, is still without a museum to shelter him for bureaucratic disputes six years after it was discovered.

Archaeologist Abhigit Ambacar made a significant discovery in 2019 when he noticed what looked like the top of a human skull as he excavated the western state of Gujarat.

As his team dug deeper, they found the well-preserved remains in the pit in what looked like a meditative posture. Similar remains have been found on only three other sites in India.

But officials still argue who should take responsibility for the skeleton. He remains in an impromptu shelter – not far from a new Museum of Local Archeology.

Abhijit Ambekar says the skeleton – discovered in the city of Vadagar – will probably belong to the solanki period. The Solanki Dynasty, also known as the Chauluki Dynasty, operated parts of the modern Gujarat between 940 and 1300 BC.

The right hand of the skeleton was resting on his lap, and his left hand lay hung in the air, as if resting on a stick.

“The skeleton is an extremely valuable find, not only for Vadagar, but also for the whole country. It can help us understand how our ancestors lived and discover details of the past that are still unknown,” says Dr. Ambacar, who runs the archaeological survey of India (ASI) in Mumbai, and runs the team.

The fact that it is yet to find a suitable place to rest, despite its archeological significance, seems to be reached by bureaucracy.

G -N -Ambar says that the Gujarat government’s plan for all the artifacts excavated by Vadagar is to put them in the local museums.

He says that about 9,000 artifacts, including the skeletons, which were excavated from Vadagar between 2016 and 2022 by ASI and were handed over to the Gujarat government, were placed in local museums – except for the skeleton.

However, the government of the state says the skeleton is still in possession of ASI.

“Since no appropriate process was respected, it (the skeleton) was not placed in the museum,” said Pankai Sharma, director of the State Directorate of Archeology and Museums of the State, before the BBC.

Yadubir Singh Ravat, CEO of ASI, did not answer the BBC questions about the matter.

M Thennarasan, Secretary General of the State Department for Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities, told the BBC that the authorities are working to move the skeleton to the museum as soon as possible.

Excavation of the skeleton was a time-consuming process, says Mr. Ambecar, adding that it took two months. Various tools were used to carefully wash the soil and release the skeleton from its ancient grave.

It is currently housed in the shelter of the tarpaulin in Vadagar, unprotected by security guards and exposed to natural elements. The locals sometimes carry relatives and friends to see the skeleton – a curiosity that put a spotlight on the city, who is also the birthplace of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Interestingly, just a short distance is the new archaeological experienced museum – discovered by the Minister of Interior in India in January.

According to a government press release, the museum was built at a price of $ 35 million and was distributed to 12,500 square meters. It is proud to show “2 500-year history of Vadnagar with over 5,000 artifacts, including ceramics, coins, instruments and skeletal remains.”

While the museum has a massive frame photo of the skeleton, it does not retract the actual remains.

Vadnagar is a historically significant region in Gujarat and excavations from ASI have discovered traces of human settlements dating back more than 2000 years ago. G -n AMBEKAR says that parts of the Earth Wall, which are thought to have been built by the first settlers in the region, exist today.

The digging also revealed the remains of ancient Buddhist monasteries and stupid. These discoveries and others – such as terracotta figures, coins, jewelry with shells and inscriptions of stone and copper slabs – helped archaeologists establish seven cultural sequences or phases in the area, starting from around the II century BC. and dating to the 19th century BC.

A Ambekar says the age of the skeleton he and his team found was evaluated on the basis of DNA analysis of his teeth and a stratigraphic study at the site of excavation. Stratigraphy involves the study of rock sludge or layers of the earth to determine their age. It is then used to establish the chronology of historical events or the approximate era of artifacts.

“DNA analysis tells us that the skeleton is of local background and belongs to a person of his forties, but more studies need to be done to understand his diet and way of life, which in turn will give us a better understanding of the region, since it has existed 1000 years ago,” he says.

He can also shed light on the samadhi phenomenon – an ancient funeral practice among the Hindus, where worshiped figures are buried instead of being cremated, says G -N -Ambacar.

He adds that the skeleton managed to survive the time because the soil around it remained unsettled and shows characteristics that prevent skeletal decay.

Extracting the skeleton from the site and moving it to its current location was not an easy task. First, from the soil that surrounds it, a block was cut from the ground with the skeleton. The skeleton and soil are treated with various chemicals to consolidate their structures. The earth’s block was then placed in a wooden box filled with wet mud and a crane was used to move the box to its present place.

The whole operation took six days, says G -N -Ambekar.

He hopes soon the skeleton will find a place in a museum. But he adds that there will be mechanisms for controlling the temperature and humidity of the space to prevent the skeleton from decomposing.

Locals BBC spoke with pronounced similar feelings and accused the “bureaucasm” for the back and forward over the skeleton.

“We are proud of the ancient history of Vadnagar, but this attitude towards a 1000-year-old skeleton is deeply concerned. What is the point of building a museum if the most unique antiquity is left out under a plastic roof?” The resident of Vadagar Jezang Tacor said.

Another resident, Betaji Tacor, said he believed that the skeleton could attract tourists from all over the world to Vadagar.

“Where else will you see something like that?”