Roman Town: The Premiere Archaeology Video Game for Kids

Ancient Kourin is one of the island’s most important archaeological sites which include extensive ruins and well-preserved mosaics. There are also many more key areas of interests such as the public baths, the Nymphaeum, the necropolis, the Fountain House, House of Gladiators and House of Achilles. However, the most spectacular site at Kourin is the Greco-Roman amphitheatre, which has been entirely restored and is currently being used to hold open air musical and theatrical performances.

Paphos mosaics are also notable archaeological sites, which were discovered in 1962 and have been acclaimed as some of the best examples of Roman floor mosaics discovered to date. These mosaics can be found in many places such as: The House of Dionysos, Theseus, Aion, Orpheus and Four Seasons, allowing more opportunity for visitors to see these significant sites.

The remarkable site of Ancient Salamis is another main archaeological site within Cyprus where visitors can spend time exploring the nearby city walls, gymnasium, theatre, Roman baths, villa, forum and agora, in addition to the Basilica of St Epiphanius and the temple of Zeus Salaminios.

These archaeological wonders give visitors a chance to explore the true history of the island and also give great sites to see on Cyprus holidays. It is an opportunity to deviate from a traditional holiday and explore sites which they may never have experienced.

Many people wonder why the Anasazi Indians disappeared, leaving behind their belongings and valuables. Where did they go and why? No one has the answer. There is much speculation about what might have happened to them. In “Anasazi Diaspora,” from Navajo Visions and Voices Across the Mesa, Shonto Begay said that because the “Ancient Ones” were not obeying the rules of the clan, such as showing reverence and respect to God and attending religious ceremonies, the people “lost favor” in God’s eyes and were “swept away.”

Some archaeologists believe that discord, tribal violence, and abuse among tribes caused abandonment of the villages. Wickedness, conflict, and warring among tribes forced some clans to leave the area and move to a new place, simply to get away from the contention. In one tribe located in southern Mexico, there were cases of homicide, “nearly all of which involved clan feuds or quarrels over women.” (The Last Lords of Palenque: The Lacandon Mayas of the Mexican Rain Forest by Victor Perera and Robert D. Bruce)

Ancient dwellings, petroglyphs, and pottery found in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico are fantastic and part of Anasazi history. When an ancient ruin is discovered, it doesn’t take long for thieves to find out about it. Archaeological thievery is becoming more and more of a problem every year. At the Gettysburg National Military Park a few years ago, a man was searched and they found a metal detector hidden in his pants. He was scouring the park with it protruding from his pant leg. He was looking for Civil War relics. Utah’s vandalism is the worst in the country. Theft at the Four Corners area of Utah is still a big problem. The damage to these sites is estimated at almost $42,000 in two year’s time.

In 1906, the U.S. Congress passed the Antiquities Act because the collecting of artifacts was getting out of control. It protects archaeological sites, allows research, and imposes fines and sometimes imprisonment for the vandalism of historic sites. It was created in order to protect the archaeological sites in the Four Corners region between Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.

Unfortunately there is no law to prevent digging on private property. In fact, archaeological theft has gone corporate. They even pay rent on private property in order to dig without being caught. Sometimes entire pueblos have been removed. An ancient funeral pit can be sold for as high as sixty thousand dollars on the black market, not to mention pottery, baskets, and pendants found by looters.

I read an article in the Las Vegas Newspaper about a couple men who were loading some artifacts in the trunk of their car. A ranger saw what they were doing and questioned them, not realizing he had accidentally stumbled upon the largest operation around. The article said they recovered more than eleven thousand one hundred relics.

Did you know that people are actually selling shards and arrowheads on websites? The Anasazi culture is being sold to the highest bidder. Is there anything that can be done to protect America’s past?

The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives the government the right to protect and preserve all archaeological sites. It allows for scientific research but will impose fines and imprisonment for vandalism on historical sites.

Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of “Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans,” a story of mystery, disaster, hope, and charity. To learn more, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.

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In this article, we are going to go over the basics of an excavation and dig site: What kind of excavation takes place, how it is recorded, and common mistakes that can occur during the excavation experience.

There are two basic types of modern archaeological excavation:

Research excavation – when time and resources are available to excavate the site fully and at a leisurely pace. These are now almost exclusively the preserve of academics or private societies who can muster enough volunteer labour and funds. The size of the excavation can also be decided by the director as it goes on.
Development-led excavation – undertaken by professional archaeologists when the site is threatened by building development. Normally funded by the developer meaning that time is more of a factor as well as it being focused only on areas to be affected by building. The workforce is generally more skilled however and pre-development excavations also provide a comprehensive record of the areas investigated. Rescue archaeology is sometimes thought of as a separate type of excavation but in practice tends to be a similar form of development-led practice. Various new forms of excavation terminology have appeared in recent years. Some of these new forms have been criticized within the profession as jargon created to cover up for falling standards of practice.

There is also one other form of excavation, known as ‘rescue excavation.’ Rescue archaeology is often times referred to as preventive or salvage archeology. It is archaeological survey and excavation carried out in areas threatened by construction or other development. Examples would be in the building of a dam to flood an area that might be of interest to archeologists or even before the beginning of a war, when the ground and earth would be destroyed by bombs and thousands of people. Traditionally, archeology and excavations take months, if not years to complete. Rescue archeology, however, must be completed at an amazing rates of speed.

Rescue archeology may also include preservation of any finds, or protective measures taken to preserve an un-excavated site beneath a building. Urban areas with many overlaid years of habitation are often candidates for rescue archeology.

Rescue archeology does not take place in every country. In fact, it is largely restricted to North and South America, and the United Kingdom. Many other European countries practice no rescue archeology. The Middle East does have many projects that are termed ’salvage’ archeology, because they are picking up the pieces after something, like war, has occurred, instead of trying to handle it before hand.

Megalithic culture of ancient Kutch.

Very less has been investigated about ancient megalithic culture of Kutch during the pre Harappan and Harappan times. Few known places have been investigated some of them are Goniasar , Juni Rayan, Zura Kotadi, Guntali Desalpar, Meghpar Khander vari wadi, Todio timbo, Sarli Tombo, Juna Kotada near Roha and Dholavira. But very little work has been done on the subject and the places. One of such an outstanding place is Jangania near NALIYA in Abadasa, where graves are specifically shaped according to the shape of body.

Generally it is a belief that there are very few such places but it has wide distributed in ancient time in Kutch, and so also need to put more interest in the subject and also in investigations of such cultures.

During our last geo-archaeological expedition in 2007 we visited few megalithic structures in kutch. Namely famous Dholavira and three new places namely Todio (Timbo), Timbo SARLI and Old Kotada near Roha. If photo below is not seen clearly an attachment picture “Ancient Megalithic Structures.jpg” is added to this email. As we see in composed photograph below DHOLAVIRA has similar circular structures (Bottom Rt Corner). we also discovered similar Megalithic structures underground in megalithic places namely Todio (Timbo) (Bottom Lt Corner), Timbo SARLI (Upper Lt Corner). and Old Kotada near Roha (Upper Rt Corner).

So not only few known places do have such hidden culture but is widely distributed all over kutch during ancient time. we have some explanation of our recorded expedition and also a time table below for the ancient Megalithic structures. so we can compare the timings of those structures to relate with the ancient Civilisations in the Kutch during pre Harappan and Harappan times.

Megalithic Civilisation found in ZURA (KOTADI) of KUTCH – Megalithic SAMADHIs (Graves) of Zura Kotadi and potteries and bones

Zura (Jhura) is situated North West of BHUJ (23:24N – 69:39E) is known place for its Geology and History as it says Zura – (Fall due to seismic activity at Jhura) of the Kutch.

But its Geology is also associated with its archaeology and civilisation in that area. Though not much known of the place but local people are aware of the story of those places but far away from the knowledge of Archaeological importance as the area remained unexplored.

2km South and SE region of the Village is the Place called “KOTADI” as many civilisation names. Area has big elevated area TIMBO having stone wall around but hidden underneath. On exploration many of the Pottery found in the area including toys parts and pottery of two different varieties – Red as usual as also black – as in the area of RAMVAV and LAKHAPAR region civilisation in VAGAD – RAPAR area.

Rivers in this region all flows from South West to North EAST- from slops of the Jhuran Mountain slopes towards the Banni planes where there used to be a lake of the water of the rivers Sarasvati and sindhu waters in the Rann of KUTCH.

About 1 Km East of that KOTADI area is the place of the Mystery graves. I would say rather SAMADHIs as I have explained it before as they are the SAMADHIs is a sitting posture and are kept open on the east side of those as are kept in Samadhi rules as explained by Mahant Shree Kishordasji.

Many of such Samadhi are about some distance from the civilisation area as in the Case of GADHVARI VADI civilisation (Meghpar)- one of samadhi was in KHANDERVARI VADI.

Specimens collected from the region confirms those civilisation and Megalithic Samadhis in the region says those to be 2000 BC.

Similar type of Mystery graves of Mystery Shapes (shapes are given to the body shapes) are also in JANGADIA – ABADASA NALIYA -LAKHPAT way. those are also Megalithic times graves.

I would prefer to say those Megalithic SAMADHIs as that can not be defined as an ordinary graves. I also took an expert opinions from Mahant shree Kishordasji of kabir Mandir BHUJ as he is well known personality of the subjects regarding SAMADHIs. We went together there to identify those, and local observation showed that those places has become an open spaces now as a result of environment and weather. and shows skull bones opened from the top side and not the Limb bones. so Those are defined as Sitting SAMADHIs. and east side of those SAMADHIs kept open as seen shadows towards east in the Evening pictures.

prominent for the region’s prehistoric population. Circular graves dating to c. 3000 BC are dotted . stone piled up a round -shaped chamber the site of the first archaeological excavation when several circular, collective tombs like those were excavated. The excavation of a settlement confirmed the importance of the locale and for this reason the period c. 2500-2000 BC.

They are typical of burial mounds of about 2000 BC where the cremated remains of the community’s elders would have been buried. “Carbon dating should confirm that the burial mound dates to about 2000BC,” This means the Bronze Age graveyard dates back . They have already found a piece of pottery containing the remains of burnt shells. “It is possible that the enclosure could date as far back as 3000 BC,” “But we need to find more pottery that has decoration so we can provide a more accurate date to the site.”

Megalithic tombs research has a long history, inextricably linked with the development of archaeology itself. In the beginning (2400 b.c.-1200 A.D.) interest in for such interest consisted primarily of superstitious awe and religious inspiration. Beyond this, the curiosity of unknown prehistoric individuals can only be imagined.

However, many terms describing megalithic architecture were first recorded. During the Culture History and subsequent periods the Some felt that the chronology only needed minor adjustments and that new tomb excavations and large catalogs would explain the evolution of the tombs. Surprisingly the advent of C14 dating in the fifties, which revolutionized archaeology in many parts of the world, had little effect on dating tombs, C14 dates began to hint at the real antiquity of the tombs, but ceramic analysis continued to play the major role.

the relative chronology. Difficulties in various regional ceramic typologies were isolated and efforts have been made to overcome incongruencies between the typological method used for ceramics, problems in C14 dating, and theories on megalithic tomb evolution. and related pottery contributed. The origin of megalithic tombs , graves has been a matter of debate for centuries. The Eastern Tomb Origin Theory is currently not persuasive. The western origin is tainted by the diffusionists’ mind-set. It is contradicted by radiocarbon dates and the evolutionary trajectory of French tombs. The Autochthonous Theory is supported by a logical, chronological evolution of tomb types and their spatial distribution

The origin of megalithic tombs is an autochthonous development. This network was held together by a common ideology expressed through the building of monumental burial architecture which, Megalithic tomb construction expanded at different rates , The local and regional tomb types were derived from local traditions, local religious interpretations and customs tied to an interregional ideology.

CHRONOLOGICAL MODEL OF MEGALITHIC CHAMBER EVOLUTION

3600-2990/2860 B.C./2860-2400/2300 b.c. 3550/3500-3100 B.C.

3600-3290 B.C./2860-2610 b.c. [3550/3500-3100 B.C.

3600-3530 B.C./2860-2800 b.c. [3550/3500-3400 B.C.] Primeval-dolmen (urdolmen, normally parallel to long-mound)

3550-3460 B.C./2850-2750 b.c. Transitional dolmen (parallel/perpendicular to long-mound)

3550 B.C./2815 b.c. Top-entrance urdolmen 3530 B.C./2800 b.c. Half-height front-entrance urdolmen and square-dolmen 3500 B.C./2780 b.c. Extended-dolmen with axial capstone

3480-3290 B.C./2760-2610 b.c. [3400-3100 B.C.] Multiple side-stone dolmen (perpendicular to long-mound)

3480 B.C./2760 b.c. Rectilinear and polygonal extended-dolmen 3450 B.C./2740 b.c. Rectilinear and polygonal grand-dolmen

3400-3100/2970 B.C./2700-2490/2400 b.c. [3250-3100 B.C.] Passage-graves

3400-3290 B.C./2700-2610 b.c. Transitional chambers with passage

3400 B.C./2700 b.c. Large polygonal- and rectilinear-dolmen/protopassage-graves with angled/corner entrance and passage

3360-3100/2970 B.C./2650-2490/2400 b.c. [3250-3100 B.C.] Passage-graves*

3360 B.C./2650 b.c. Primeval passage-graves 3290 B.C./2610 b.c. Extended passage-graves 3240 B.C./2570 b.c. Grand passage-graves

3320-3100/2970 B.C./2630-2490/2400 b.c. [3250-3100 B.C.] Complex Chambers

3320 B.C./2630 b.c. Side-chamber passage-graves 3300 B.C./2620 b.c. End-chamber passage-graves 3290 B.C./2610 b.c. Double passage-graves 3260 B.C./2580 b.c. Triple passage-graves 3240 B.C./2570 b.c. Dual-passage chambers 3210 B.C./2560 b.c. Single chamber double passage-graves

3400-2860 B.C./2700-2300 b.c. Gallery-graves

3400 B.C./2700 b.c. Primeval gallery-graves with front- or side entrance 3290 B.C./2610 b.c. Extended gallery-graves with front- or side entrance 3240 B.C./2570 b.c. Grand gallery-graves with front- or side-entrance

From:- YOURS Dr.BHUDIA-Science Group Of INDIA.

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/venustransit_2004/

President:’Kutch Science Foundation’.

Founder :’Kutch Amateurs Astronomers Club – Bhuj – Kutch’.

Life Member:’kutch Itihaas Parishad’.

kutchscience@yahoo.co.in, kutchscience@hotmail.com,

http://uk.geocities.com/wildlifeofkutch/

http://www.geocities.com/kutchscience

http://profiles.yahoo.com/kutchscience2000

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/scienceclubofindia

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/kutchscience

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/kachchh

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/bhuj

Do visit our ABOVE Clubs/Groups of Science Groups of India.

Yet frequently I am asked for some ideas to shoot short, content-driven segments, which focus on one particular aspect of the Holy Land, the three religions or certain archaeological sites and their history. I have compiled a small but compact list of filming short segments (60 or 120 sec) for crews filming in Israel, which should give filmmakers some ideas what they could focus on.

Filming in Israel – Future Prophecies Segment in Jerusalem

Since the beginning of time, prophecies and their human messengers have inspired mankind, causing great excitement and anxiety of what the future might hold for each and every one of us. There are plenty of prophecies connected to Jerusalem, the holiest city in the world, and if a film crew in Israel wants to focus on prophecies and adequate locations, here are some suggestions: 

The Mount of Olives – the site of the Second Coming

The Himnon Valley – the Valley of Hell, stage to Judgement Day

The Kidron Valley – the Dry Bones Prophecy surrounding the tombs

The Golden Gate – the prophecy which sees Jesus walking triumphantly through

the Golden Gate into the city of Jerusalem

Filming in Israel – Nazareth Segment

Beautiful old Nazareth is a very important site to Christianity. Jesus of Nazareth spent his boyhood years here before moving to Capernaum to begin his ministry. There are a number of wonderful locations which crews can visit in one day and edit a great segment as an introduction to Jesus’ life and times.  

The town of Nazareth – old streets, marketplace

The House of Mary and Mary’s Spring

The Church of Annunciation

The Prophecy of the Birth of Jesus – the land of Zebulon and Napthali

Filming in Israel – King Herod

King Herod is often referred to as the Greatest Builder of Ancient Times, and the are numerous ruins around the country which pay tribute to his extraordinary visions and architectural adventures. A segment about Kind Herod should definitely include:

The Herodian – Herod’s Palace, near Bethlehem

The Port of Caesarea – also recommended for underwater archaeology

The Antipatris – on the road from Caesarea to Jerusalem

The Cypros – in Jericho

The Temple Mount and Western Wall – reflecting on the reconstruction of the second temple

The Second Temple Model – to be seen in the Israel Museum

Filming in Israel – Archaeological Excavations in Progress

Digging with archaeological experts on the many sites around the country is not only a popular activity for tourists and archaeology fan. Many crews join one or the other dig throughout their shoot in Israel; the choice of the site depends much on the focus of their film. Here is a list of archaeological sites that have continuous excavations:

City of David – located at the southern tip of Temple Mount

Tzipori – also known as Sepphoria, just a few km north of Nazareth, great mosaic floors

Jacob’s Ford – up in the North, ongoing digs with Prof. Ronnie Ellenblum

Tel Megiddo – the biblical Armageddon, the cradle of Archaeology in Israel, ongoing excavations have uncovered the layers of more than 30 cities

Tel Tsafit – close to Kfar Menachem about 40 min south of Jerusalem, the site is connected to the battle between David and Goliath

Filming in Israel – The Way to Bethlehem

Crews filming in Israel regularly visit Bethlehem to film the stunning Church of Nativity. For crews interested in illustrating Mary’s and Jospeh’s way to Bethlehem, there are some more suggestions here:

The Model of the Second Temple (Israel Museum) – Mary and Jospeh stop on their way to give praise at the temple

Church of the Nativity – the birthplace of Jesus

The town of Bethlehem

Surrounding fields with shepherds and old olive trees

Mount Zion – Mary is said to have fallen in eternal sleep here

This is merely a glimpse of what can be done when filming in Israel – the country’s historical sites, the archaeology and the landscape surrounding them never seize to amaze me! Furthermore, the above locations are also covered in our Israel / Christian footage archive of Biblical Productions, for anyone interested in acquiring archival footage. 

The boat come out due to a great dearth at the time which the waters of the lake ebbed and was found by the brothers Moshe and Yuval Lufan, second-generation fishermen from Kibbutz Ginosar. The brothers reported that when they found the yacht a double rainbow that appeared in the sky.

Working around the clock, the Galilee Boat was disinterring from the mud over an eleven-day-period in a thorough process that conserved the delicate remains. The boat was wrapped in a polyurethane shell and then immersed in a special tank of water to avoid quick disintegration. Lastly, over a age of years, the rotten wood was restored with a particular wax underwater. Eventually, all the way through a process of slowly raising the water temperature over an era a lot of months, the wax-filled shell was detached from the tank and placed on exhibit. To date, manifold studies have placed the antique vessel at 100 BC to 100 AD. The makeup and characteristics of the Galilee Boat are reliable with the fishing boats stated all through the Gospel accounts of the New Testament.

The succeeding archaeological excavate was undertaken by affiliates of the Kibbutz Ginosar, the Antiquities power, and many volunteers. Pulling the boat from the mud devoid of damaging it – up till now rapidly sufficient to extract it before the water raised again it was a fragile process, long-lasting 12 days and nights. The boat then had to be flooded in a chemical bath for 7 years before it might be exhibited.

The boat has been dated to the 1st century AD on basis of pottery and nails found in union with the boat, radiocarbon dating, and hull building methods. Proof of repetitive repairs points out the boat was utilized for more than a few decades, possibly almost a century. When it was measured further than repair, all helpful wooden parts were detached and the residual hull sunk to the bottom of the lake.

The Galilee Boat is in fact the kind of boat that has been used on the Sea of Galilee for both fishing and transportation crosswise the lake. It is probable that this kind of boat was used by Jesus and his pupil, a lot of who were fishermen. Boats played a great role in Jesus life and ministry – they are stated 50 times in the Gospels!

There is no proof connecting the boat to Jesus or his disciples, but it is definitely enticing to think that Jesus may have seen the boat sail by out on the Sea of Galilee – or even second-hand it himself. But in spite of of its history, the “Jesus boat” is an enthralling artifact that fetches to life many of the Gospel records.

                            DWARKA AND THE MAHABHARATA

Every Indian, either living in India or living outside India, knows about the two epics that dominates the Indian psyche and the psyche of the terra firma. These epics are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata has exercised a continuous and pervasive influence on the Indian mind for millennia. The Mahabharata, originally written by Sage Ved Vyas in Sanskrit, has been translated and adapted into numerous languages and has been set to a variety of interpretations. Dating back to “remote antiquity”, it is still a living force in the life of the Indian masses.   With more than 74,000 verses, long prose passages, and about 1.8 million words in total, the Mahabharata is one of the longest epic poems in the world. The Mahabharata has a total length of more than 90,000 verses.

Everything about the Mahabharata is huge, from its sprawling length, to the enormous breadth of its vision. The longest of all epics is like an encyclopedia, a world all on its own. At its core is the powerful and moving story of the Pandava and Kaurava cousins who ultimately fight the greatest war of all, Kurukshetra. But that is not all, the Mahabharata is full of mythic stories, vast time spans of history, detailed geography and a massive body of spiritual teachings.

The author of the massive epic is Rishi Vyas, who, according to the text itself, spent three years creating it, rising every morning, and working on it every day. His abode was Vyas Gufa, a cave high in the Himalayas, which is still visited today by travelers on their way to Mansarovar.

In Mahabharata’s Musal Parva, the Dwarka is mentioned as being gradually swallowed by the ocean. Krishna had forewarned the residents of Dwaraka to vacate the city before the sea submerged it. The Sabha Parva gives a detailed account of Krishna’s flight from Mathura with his followers to Dwaraka to escape continuous attacks of Jarasandh’s on Mathura and save the lives of its subjects. For this reason, Krishna is also known as RANCHHOR (one who runs away from the battle-field). Dr. SR Rao and his team in 1984-88 (Marine Archaeology Unit) undertook an extensive search of this city along the coast of Gujarat where the Dwarikadeesh temple stands now, and finally they succeeded in unearthing the ruins of this submerged city off the Gujarat coast.

The first archaeological excavations at Dwaraka were done by the Deccan College, Pune and the Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat, in 1963 under the direction of H.D. Sankalia. It revealed artifacts many centuries old.

Marine Archaeology Unit (MAU) jointly by the National Institute of Oceanography and the Archaeological Survey of India. Under the guidance of Dr. Rao, a great marine archaeologist, a team consisting of expert underwater explorers, trained diver-photographers and archaeologists was formed. The technique of geophysical survey was combined with the use of echo-sounders, mud-penetrators, sub-bottom profilers and underwater metal detectors. This team carried out 12 marine archaeological expeditions between 1983 to 1992 and articles and antiquities recovered were sent to Physical Research Laboratory for dating. By using thermo-luminescence, carbon dating and other modern scientific techniques, the artifacts were found to belong to the period between 15th to 18th century B.C. In his great work, The Lost City of Dwaraka, Dr. Rao has given scientific details of these discoveries and artifacts.

Between 1983 to 1990, the well-fortified township of Dwaraka was discovered, extending more than half mile from the shore. The township was built in six sectors along the banks of a river. The foundation of boulders on which the city’s walls were erected proves that the land was reclaimed from the sea. The general layout of the city of Dwaraka described in ancient texts agrees with that of the submerged city discovered by the MAU.

The ASI conducted a second round of excavations in 1979 under S.R. Rao’s direction. He found a distinct pottery known as lustrous red ware, which could be more than 3,000 years old. Based on the results of these excavations, the search for the sunken city in the Arabian Sea began in 1981. Scientists and archaeologists have continually worked on the site for 20 years.

The UAW began excavations at Dwaraka again from January 2007. Dr. Tripathi said: “To study the antiquity of the site in a holistic manner, excavations are being conducted simultaneously both on land [close to the Dwarakadhish temple] and undersea so that finds from both the places can be co-related and analyzed scientifically.”

The objective of the excavation is to know the antiquity of the site, based on material evidence. In the offshore excavation, the ASI’s trained underwater archaeologists and the divers of the Navy searched the sunken structural remains. The finds were studied and  documented.   

On land, the excavation is being done in the forecourt of the Dwarakadhish temple. Students from Gwalior, Lucknow, Pune, Vadodara, Varanasi and Bikaner are helping ASI archaeologists. In the forecourt, old structures including a circular one have been found. A small cache of 30 copper coins was discovered.

“Within the past few months, the engineers began some dredging operations there and they pulled up human fossil bones, fossil wood, stone tools, pieces of pottery and many other things that indicated that it indeed was a human habitation site that they had. And they were able to do more intensive sonar work there and were able to identify more structures. They appeared to have been laid out on the bank of a river that had been flowing from the Indian subcontinent out into that area. ( That river was the legendary saraswati river ) According to the news releases, they have done a radiocarbon testing on a piece of wood from the underwater site that is now yielding an age of 9,500 years which would place it near the end of the last Ice Age. There were actually two radiocarbon dates: one about 7500 years old and another about 9500 years old. The 9500 year old one seems to be the strongest one. That’s the one they are going with. This was announced by Minister Joshi ( Murli Manohar Joshi was the Indian Minister for Ocean Technology then ). Mahabharata was then a reality and it was not a cock and bull story concocted by Ved Vyas.

Ved Vyas also described the city of Dwarka in great details. The poets described Dwarka as a city so golden that it cast its radiance on the ocean for miles around it. Dwar means door, and Dwarka is a city of many doors or a gateway. It was an island, connected to the mainland by many bridges, and legend says that Krishna asked Vishwakarman, the architect of the gods to build him a city more beautiful than any before it.

Krishna chose a remote location, far beyond the reach of Jarasandh. He picked distant Dwarka on the western coast of India, far from Mathura, and spent a year putting his plans into action. He built on the sunken remains of a previous kingdom, Kushasthali, which itself was built on older ruins, all underwater. Krishna reclaimed a hundred miles of land from the sea and called in Vishwakarman, the architect of the gods to give him a city that was the envy of the world.

The Mahabharat and the Bhagwat Puran and other texts, describe the wonders of Dwarka. The most expensive and luxurious materials were used. In those days of unbelievable riches, it was quite common to use precious stones, gold and silver as construction material. Royalty and rich nobles invariably used gold, those who could not afford it used silver or metal.

Dwarka was a city of rose and gold. The palaces and many of the mansions were built of gold, over which pink lotus domes towered, topped by soaring golden spires. The floors were made of emeralds. Precious stones studded the walls and crystal arches curved overhead, inlaid with gold. The houses were beautifully decorated and sculptures adorned the walls. Even the cowsheds were made of silver, brass and iron.

Seen in this beautiful picture is lord Krishna coming to the island city of dwarka

Dwarka was a very well planned city, following the highly developed science of town planning. The architect, Vishwakarman, first mapping out the highways, lanes, gates and parks. He sectioned off plots and divided the city into six zones, residential and commercial. He planned out the port and created the bridges and gateways and the fortifications. Everything was laid out in detail before the construction began.

Like many kingdoms of the time Dwarka had a passport system. Its citizens were issued with a clay seal which had to be presented when they entered or left the massive gates. The seal of Dwarka was a mythical three headed dog and seals matching the description have been found in the undersea ruins today.

In the Newspaper The Hindu dated 23 Feb 2007 an article was published which I reproduce here vervatim.” CHENNAI: Ancient structural remains of some significance have been discovered at Dwaraka, under water and on land, by the Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Alok Tripathi, Superintending Archaeologist, UAW, said the ancient underwater structures found in the Arabian Sea were yet to be identified. “We have to find out what they are. They are fragments. I would not like to call them a wall or a temple. They are part of some structure,” said Dr. Tripathi, himself a trained diver.

Thirty copper coins were also found in the excavation area. The structures found on land belonged to the medieval period. “We have also found 30 copper coins. We are cleaning them. After we finish cleaning them, we can give their date,” he said.

Dwaraka is a coastal town in Jamnagar district of Gujarat. Traditionally, modern Dwaraka is identified with Dvaraka or Dvaravati, mentioned in the Mahabharata as Krishna’s city. Dwaraka was a port, and some scholars have identified it with the island of Barka mentioned in the Periplus of Erythrean Sea. Ancient Dwaraka sank in sea and hence is an important archaeological site.” My idea is not to go in the discussion of how the city went under the sea but the fact is that this city is now approximately under water of the Arabian sea some 135 feet below water. This city has been mentioned in the Mahabharata and that this city has been found, dated, and mapped. The probable date of this city is between 9500 to 7500 years before present which will put it as 7500 to 5500 years BC.

Mahabharata was not a fictional epic but a reality is also evident from the works of many scholars who have done extensive work in this area, and by getting all the facts together what comes out of the whole is the fact that the near about exact dates of the major happenings in the epic has also been identified. This at least proves that the Vedic civilization is a much older phenomenon than perceived by many western scholars till date.

 There is a striking inscription which has been found  in  the  Jain Temple  at  Aihole prepared by  one Chalukya King Pulakeshi.  It says, according  to  scholars,  that  the  temple   was     constructed   in 30+3000+700+5  = 3735 years, after the Bharat War and 50+6+500 =   556 years of Shaka era in Kali era. Today Shaka era is 1910.  Hence  1910- 556  =  1354  years  ago the temple was constructed.  Thus the year of inscribing this note is 634 AD.  At this time 3735  years  had  passed from the Bharat War. So the date of the War comes to 3101 BC.  This is also the date of Kali Yuga Commencement. Naturally, it is evident that relying on the beginning of Kaliyuga Era and holding that the War took place just before the commencement of Kaliyuga,

The verse inscribed is :

Trinshatsu Trisahasreshu Bhaaratdahavaditaha | Saptabda  Shatayukteshu

Gateshwabdeshu Panchasu | Panchashatasu Kalaukale Shatasu Panchashatsu

cha | Samatsu Samatitasu Shakaanamapi Bhoobhujaam ||

The verses has been interpreted by considering the  clauses  of  the verse.  It  says “3030 years from the Bharat War” in the first line, ( Trinshatsu Trisahasreshu Bhaaratdahavaaditaha) where the first  clause of  the  sentence  ends.  in the second line, the second clause starts and   runs   up to   the   middle   of   the   third   line   thus ( Saptabda…..Kalaukale) This means 700+5+50 = 755 years passed in the Kali Era. It is clear from the former portion of the verse that 3030 years passed from the Bharat War and 755 years  passed  from Kali  Era.   Kali  Era started from 3101 BC.  755 years have passed so 3101-755 = 2346 BC is the year when 3030 years  had  passed  from  the Bharat  War.   So 2346+3030 = 5376 BC appears to be the date of Bharat War.

The Greek Ambassador Magasthenis has recorded that 138 generations have  passed  between  Krishna  and Chandragupta Maurya. Many scholars have taken this evidence, but taking only 20 years per generation they fixed  the date of Krishna as 2760 years before Chandragupta. But this is wrong because the record is not of ordinary people to take 20 years per  generation. In the matter of general public, one says that when a son is born a new generation starts. But in the  case  of  kings,  the name  is  included in the list of Royal Dynasty only after his coronation to the throne. Hence, one cannot allot 20 years to one  king.  We have  to  find  out  the average per king  by  calculating on  various INDIAn Dynasties. I have considered 60 kings  from  various  dynasties and calculated the average of each king as 35 years. Here is a list of some of important kings with the no. of years ruling.

      Chandragupta Mourya      330-298 B.C.     32 years.

      Bindusar                         298-273 B.C.     25 years.

      Ashok                            273-232 B.C.     41 years.

      Pushyamitra Shunga       190-149 B.C.     41 years.

      Chandragupta Gupta       308-330 A.D.     22 years.

      Samudragupta                330-375 A.D.     45 years.

      Vikramaditya                  375-414 A.D.     39 years.

      Kumargupta                   414-455 A.D.     41 years.

      Harsha                          606-647 A.D.     41 years.

                                                ———

                                                327 years.

      The average is 327/9 = 36.3 years.

Multiplying 138 generations by 35 years we get 4830 years before Chandragupta  Mourya.  Adding  Chandrgupta’s  date 320 B.C. to 4830 we get 5150 B.C. as the date of Lord Krishna.

Megasthenis, according to Arian, has written that  between  Sandrocotus  to  Dianisaum  153 generations and 6042 years passed. From this data, we get the average of 39.5 years per king. From this we can calculate  5451  years  for  138  generations.  So Krishna must have been around 5771 B.C.

Pliny gives 154 generations and  6451  years  between  Bacchus  and Alexander.  This  Bacchus may be the famous Bakasura who was killed by Bhimasena. This period comes to about 6771 years B.C.

Thus Mahabharata period ranges from 5000 B.C. to 6000 B.C. and Dwarka fits into this scenario perfectly.

Mahabharata   mentions   the   ancient   tradition   as   ‘Shravanadini Nakshatrani’, i.e.,  Shravan Nakshatra was given the first place in the Nakshatra- cycle (Adi-71/34 and Ashvamedh  44/2)  Vishwamitra  started

counting  the Nakshatras from Shravan when he created ‘Prati Srushti’. He was angry with the old customs.  So he started  some  new  customs. Before  Vishvamitra’s  time Nakshatras were counted from the one which was occupied by the sun on the Vernal  Equinox.   Vishvamitra  changed this fashion and used diagonally opposite point i.e.  Autumnal Equinox to list the Nakshtras. He gave first place to Shravan which was at the Autumnal  Equinox  then.   The period of Shravan Nakshatra on autumnal equinox is from 6920 to 7880 years B.C.  This was Vishvamitra’s period at  the  end  of  Treta yuga.  Mahabharat War took place at the end of Dwapar yuga.   Subtracting  the  span  of Dwapar  Yuga  of  2400 years we get 7880 – 2400 = 5480 B.C. as the date of Mahabharat War.

Recently Dr. S.B. Rao, Emeritus Scientist of the National Institute of Oceanography,  Dona  Paula, Goa, 403004, has discovered under the sea, Dwaraka and dated it as between  5000  to  6000  BC.   This  news  has been  published by all  the  leading newspapers on 22nd October 1988.

 Many works of the Vedic and Puranic tradition contain a sufficient number of clues in the form of astronomical observations which can be used to determine the approximate date of Mahabharata and thus establish the historical authenticity of the events described in this great epic. Notable among these works are the Parashar Sanghita, the Bhagvat Puran, Shakalya Sanghita, and the Mahabharat itself. Aryabhatta, one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers of India in the fifth century AD, examined the astronomical evidence described in the Mahabharata in his great work known as the “Aryabhattiya”. According to the positions of the planets recorded in the Mahabharata, its approximate date was calculated by Aryabhatta to be 3100 BC implying that the great war described in the Mahabharata was fought approximately 5000 years ago, as most Hindus have always believed.

A number of British scholars of the 19th century, especially Friedrich Max Muller, tried to interpret this astronomical evidence to prove that the observations recorded in Hindu scriptures are imaginary. As an amateur astronomer, I propose to examine the astronomical evidence presented in the Bhagvat Puran and Max Muller’s criticism of this evidence in light of the advances made in astronomy in the past fifty years. Max Muller, in the preface to his translation of the Rig Veda, examines the astronomical observations described in the Bhagvat Puran and concludes that these observations are “imaginary”, apparently because they did not agree with the prevalent views of the European, primarily British, Indologists of the nineteenth century about the time of the Mahabharata.

Carl Segan, a renowned astronomer at Cornell University, who hosted the public television series “Cosmos” in 1985, pointed out that Hindus were the only ones who came anywhere close to correctly estimating the real age of the universe. Unlike many cultural traditions which treat science and religion as antithetical to each other, the Hindu tradition encourages the study of physics and metaphysics both for a comparative understanding of the true nature of the cosmic mystery surrounding and pervading the universe.

Everything about the Mahabharat is huge, from its sprawling length, to the enormous breadth of its vision. The longest of all epics is like an encyclopaedia, a world all on its own. At its core is the powerful and moving story of the Pandava and Kaurava cousins who ultimately fight the greatest war of all, Kurukshetra. But that is not all, the Mahabharata is full of mythic stories, vast time spans of history, detailed geography and a massive body of spiritual teachings.

 In the end I would like to invite my readers to a 9.35 minutes video on www.disclose.tv which will precisely show case the antiquity of this great civilization. The link is given below. Copy and paste on the address bar of your browser and press enter.

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/1134/Dvaraka_Giant_Underwater_City_found_in_India/

Bibliography:

http://www.tginvents.com/tushar/MahabharatDating2.htm

http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_sarasvat.html

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=1a6vMAGTUhI

.Hinduunity.org

http://www.hinduism.co.za/oldest.htm

Michael Cremo, Researcher of Ancient Archaeology

and Author, Forbidden Archaeology

http://www.epicindia.com/magazine/Culture/the-lost-city-of-dwarka

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/23/stories/2007022301242200.htm

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/1134/Dvaraka_Giant_Underwater_City_found_in_India/

Once the center of the Lambayeque, Moche, and Chimu cultures, known for their advanced metallurgy, now the areas surrounding Chiclayo and Trujillo are primarily agricultural and produce very high quality cotton, rice, and sugar.  These societies existed from about 400AD until the rise of the Incas in about 1400 AD. Today you can visit and explore the pyramids, wander around the colonial cities, observe the local rural lifestyle which still maintains many elements of the pre-Hispanic local culture and enjoy the numerous awe-inspiring archaeological findings at the local museums- arguably the best in Peru. What makes these societies so mystical is that not much is known about all these as they used no form of writing to record their history – only recording on works of art and ceramics.

First time visitors should start in the city of Trujillo, Peru’s third city. In Trujillo you can visit colonial, governmental and religious monuments in this beautiful city. Nearby you can visit the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. These are pyramid structures were built around 500 AD and the biggest of these is thought to be the largest pre-Columbian structure found in Peru. The Temple of The Sun is the larger structure but unfortunately much of has been washed away. Early looters had diverted the local river to access some hidden chambers in their search for gold, washing away much of the structure. Nearby is the other pyramid of the Temple of the Moon which is better preserved and excavated more extensively.

5 km away from Trujillo are the ruins of Chan Chan, which was the largest pre-Hispanic city in South America. The extensive ruins are a testament to the advanced civilizations that lived here for many centuries before Columbus ‘discovered’ South America. Built by the Moche people it covers a land area of 20 km and used to be home to about 30,000 people before conquest by the Inca’s in about 1470 AD.

From Trujillo visitors should make their way to the coastal city of Chiclayo. The city houses the Royal Tombs Museum, home to the Lord of Sipán, one of Peru’s most spectacular discoveries unearthed in 1987 and considered to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries from the last 50 years. The city is also home to a number of other museums and cultural centers.

Near to the city you also have the archaeological complex of Tucume, known as ‘The Valley of the Pyramids’. The Tucume complex is massive and includes 26 adobe pyramids and mounds that were built by the Sican civilization around 1,000 A.D.

Seeing all these sights makes you appreciate the ancient histories and culture that exist in this great country. What strikes you is how the new Peru is molded around its rich and proud heritage.