An archaeologist claims that he has discovered evidence that points to human beings living in Bengaluru city 4 lakh years ago.
“The discovery confirms man’s existence in this area during the Stone Age,” claimed Dr K B Shivatarak, retired professor of ancient history and archaeology, Mangalore Universitiy.
The discovery was actually an accident. Back in May, The BWSSB had dug up a road to fix a water leakage at Kadirenahalli, underpass at Bendrenagar, Banashankari II Stage. “I live nearby and out of sheer curiosity, I observed the stones the workers had found while digging. I picked up some stone implements from the spot and washed them. I realized they bore a strong resemblance to the implements I had collected earlier from Tumakuru, Mandya and Chitradurga districts where I have done similar research,” said Shivatarak told TOI.
Shivatarak recovered five stone tools from the site, which included a hand-axe, scraper, leaf-like implement, hammer stone and miniature hand axe made of quartzite and quartz. He said that he had unearthed similar stone tools near Abhimaan Studio near Kengeri.
Prof Ravi Kori Settar, retired professor of archeology, Karnatak University is skeptical on whether stone age man ever lived in Bengaluru. “There is no scope for palaeolithic stone implements in Bengaluru as no quartzite quarries have been found around the city. In Karnataka, paleolithic stones can be seen only in the north, and Kibbanahalli near Tumkur,” he said to TOI.
“Distribution of palaeolithic tools are ruled out and can not be found in granite area. What has been found out could either be pseudolitic (looks like palaeolithic) or erolits (apes palaeolithic due to natural activities where chips come out),” he added.
