What if the roots of human civilization stretched back far earlier than we ever imagined so far, in fact, that entire cities may now lie forgotten beneath the sea? It sounds like something from a myth or a lost chapter of history, yet off the coast of western India, a mysterious underwater discovery has brought up this very question.Found in the gloomy depths of the Gulf of Khambhat, this ancient submerged site could potentially rewrite the timeline of civilization itself.The discovery was made more than two decades ago by Indian marine researchers and has never been conclusively accepted or rejected. But what exactly was found beneath the sea and why does it continue to stir such controversy even after 25 years?
A look into prehistoric civilization
In December 2000, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) made a massive discovery in the Gulf of Khambhat, off India’s western coast, that happened to take place in routine pollution surveys. Sonar technology showed large, geometric structures on the seafloor, suggesting the existence of a submerged city.This alleged city is located approximately 120 feet underwater, and spans over five miles in length and two miles in width. Artifacts recovered from the site include pottery, beads, sculptures, and human remains. On being carbon-dated, it was found that these artifacts date to be nearly 9,500 years old, potentially predating the Indus Valley Civilization.
As per reports by Indy100, Dr. Badrinaryan Badrinaryan, chief geologist for NIOT’s scientific team, proposed that these findings indicated the existence of an advanced civilization submerged by rising sea levels at the end of the last Ice Age. He suggested that the Harappan civilization might have descended from this “mother culture,” challenging the belief that well-organized societies couldn’t have existed prior to 5500 BCE.
Experts like Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan and Dr. Akko Parpola have questioned the interpretations. Dr. Mahadevan acknowledged the man-made appearance of certain structures but cautioned that some artifacts might have been transported by ancient rivers. Dr. Parpola raised concerns about the reliability of carbon dating and the potential for natural processes to have shaped the site.Credits: Images generated by canva
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