The present-day tiger reserve in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has quickly become a site of curiosity for archaeologists. On April 1st, archaeologists uncovered several relics from Bandhavgarh National Park. A rock painting, statue, and most impressively, a man-made water body. Being 1500 to 2000 years old, these suggest the presence of an ancient modern society nearly 2000 years old in the area where tigers now reside.
The painting is still being studied as such rock art is usually found in natural caves and rock overhangs, not in rock-cut caves like this one. The painting discovered is believed to be a Golden Age painting and an object of study. Shivkant Bajpai, the superintending archaeologist, states, “The presence of numerous (man-made) waterbodies suggests a modern society. The waterbodies found at this time were made at a height and used for collecting rainwater. They could be roughly 1800-2000 years old. Evidence suggests some renovation was carried out on the structures around 1000 years ago”. 11 more rock-cut caves have been discovered, which seem to have been used by traders of the time for shelter while travelling what was presumably a hazardous route. These discoveries provide a unique glimpse into the history of the region and of the country and evidence of the possible existence of a modern society in the area in the past. Further study of these relics may provide additional insight into our history and culture.
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