22-Aug-2019: World’s earliest known Stegosaur discovered
Paleontologists in Morocco have found fossil fragments from a new genus and species of stegosaur that walked the Earth about 168 million years ago (Jurassic period).
Stegosaurs were a widespread group with species of the armored (thyreophoran) dinosaurs found in Southern Africa, North America, Asia and Europe. But the newly-discovered stegosaur, named Adratiklit boulahfa, is the first of the group to hail from North Africa.
Its fossilized remains — a handful of vertebrae and an upper arm bone — were found in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
Most known stegosaurs date from far later in the Jurassic period, making this the oldest definite stegosaur described and helping to increase our understanding of the evolution of this group of dinosaurs.
To understand the evolutionary relationship of Adratiklit boulahfa with known stegosaurs, researchers conducted the phylogenetic analysis of the specimens. Despite being from the African continent, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that, Adratiklit boulahfa is more closely related to European stegosaurs than it is to the two genera known from southern Africa.
When stegosaurs were alive, the world was divided into two supercontinents: Laurasia and Gondwana. Laurasia included the land masses that today make up most of the northern hemisphere’s continents, and Gondwana eventually split into land masses including Africa, South America, Australia and Antarctica. Stegosaurs were diverse and abundant in Laurasia. In contrast, their remains are extremely rare in Gondwana.
The discovery of Adratiklit boulahfa now adds to the theory that the Gondwanan fossil record of armored dinosaurs is significantly biased by both geological factors and collection efforts.
Most stegosaurs until known have been found in Laurasia rock formations. This, however may not mean that stegosaurs were not so common in Gondwana and in fact may be due to the fact that Gondwana rock formations have been subject to far fewer excavations and detailed studies.
30-Apr-2019: ASI unearths treasure at U.P. site
The Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) ongoing excavation of 4,000-year-old burial sites in Uttar Pradesh’s Sanauli has unearthed underground “sacred chambers”, decorated “legged coffins” as well as rice and dal in pots and animal bones buried with the bodies.
The excavation in the Baghpat district of U.P. was first started in 2018 and resumed in January this year. The process of listing and preservation at the site was on at the moment.
Three chariots, some coffins, shields, swords and helmets had been unearthed, pointing towards the existence of a “warrior class in the area around 2,000 BCE.
Excavators think it is different from Harappan culture. It is contemporary to the last phase of the mature Harappan culture. These findings are important to understand the culture pattern of the Upper Ganga-Yamuna doab. Archaeologists found copper swords, helmets, shields and chariots.
The excavators have found rice and urad dal in pots, cattle bones, wild pig and mongoose buried along with bodies. These may have been offered to the departed souls. We also found sacred chambers below the ground. After the procession, they put the body in the chamber for some treatment or rituals.
Right now, the ASI is in the process of carrying out DNA, metallurgical and botanical analysis of samples and ground penetrating radar survey of the site.
Sanauli is located on the left bank of the River Yamuna, 68 km north-east of Delhi which brought to light the largest necropolis of the late Harappan period datable to around early part of second millennium BCE.
In one of the burial pits, the excavators found a wooden legged coffin that was decorated with steatite inlays with a female skeleton. The pit also contained an armlet of semiprecious stones, pottery and an antenna sword placed near the head.
Another area of the site included remains of four furnaces with three working levels and the overall ceramic assemblage has late Harappan characters.
30-Apr-2019: Rare life-size figurine unearthed in Phanigiri
Archaeologists in Telangana have unearthed a rare treasure in the form of a life-sized stucco sculpture from a Buddhist site at Phanigiri in Suryapet. It is the biggest stucco sculpture found in the country so far. The life-size figurine found in the excavations is thought to represent one of Bodhisattva in Jataka Chakra.
The stucco has been brought to Hyderabad for mending and conservation, and is currently being watched over at the department of heritage in Gunfoundry.
The stucco is about 1.73 metres in height and 35 cm in width. The stucco was found facing the ground on the north-eastern side of the Buddhist site at Phanigiri.
Apart from the life-sized stucco, these excavations brought to light a Mahastupa, apsidal chaitya grihas, votive stupas, pillared congregation halls, viharas, platforms with staircases at various levels, sculptural panels with Brahmi inscriptions, belonging to Satavahana period from first century BC, continued with Mahayana till the end of Ikshavaku period and others in third-fourth century AD.
The preliminary excavation at Phanigiri was started in 1941 by Khaja Muhammad Ahmad of archaeology department of the then erstwhile Hyderabad state, and it continued till 1944. After that, he state Archaeology and Museums Department (department of heritage) conducted excavations again after six decades, between 2001 and 2010, and once in 2013-14.
This year, the excavations in the site are being conducted in collaboration with Deccan College of Archaeology, Pune. The excavations, which began on February 2, are scheduled to be conducted till May 15.