All over the world, there have been interesting and mysterious cases and finds which have often intrigued us. Here in the northeast, a team of archaeologists excavated mysterious structures at Vangchhia in Champai district of Mizoram which they believe that a city belonging to a greater lost civilization might have once existed there. The excavation concluded on Wednesday.

Sujeet Nayan, Assistant Superintending archaeologist at Archaeological Survey of India Delhi and Director of the excavation at Vangchhia, said that this was one of the most important archaeological finds of the present time and it held the key to hitherto-unknown facts about Mizoram and the Northeast.

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The team documented more than 50 structures at Vangchhai and will return soon for further research and study. Fragments of charcoal and pottery have been collected which will be sent to specialized laboratories for carbon dating and other scientific analysis.

“We were exploring what lay beneath the bushes and thick foliage. The entire site could hold traces of a lost city or a greater lost civilization. It is amazing to stumble upon so many things. We need more time and research to reach a final conclusion,” said Nayan.

The team came across burial sites that seemed like water pavilion and terraces that were reminiscent of palatial buildings. The retaining walls or terraces were made of big stones and the average height of each terrace ranged from 10 to 25 feet.

“The terraces might have served as burial sites, but this can’t be ascertained as of now,” Nayan said. “There are nine terraces. We explored around eight. We also found evidence of what seems to be a water pavilion. We presume people here liked their environment and the water pavilion is comparable to those found in Mughal structures,” he added.

Vangchhia is close to the Myanmar border and comprises rolling hills and thick forests. The excavation was conducted after the Director General of ASI visited the site in November last year and the objective was to study the structures that have floral, animal and human depictions on them.

The menhirs of Vangchhai are Mizoram’s first ASI-protected monument and Vangchhia is Mizoram’s only ASI-protected site.

Source: thenortheasttoday.com