The human skeletons were rediscovered in 1942 by a Nanda Devi game reserve ranger H K Madhwal, although there are reports about these bones from late 19th century.The skeletons are visible in the clear water of the shallow lake during one month period, when ice melts. Along with skeletons, objects like wooden artifacts, iron spearheads, leather slippers,rings etc. were also found. When a team from National Geographic magazine retrieved about 30 skeletons, flesh was still attached to some of the skeletons.One study identified the skeletons as those of Indians, and not of Chinese.Later studies placed the time of mass death is around 9th century AD (1200 years old). The local legend says that king of Kanauj, Raja Jasdhaval, with his pregnant wife Rani Balampa, servants, dance troupe and others went on a pilgrimage to Nanda Devi shrine and the group faced a hail storm with large hailstones, from which the entire party perished near Roopkund lake. Though the numbers were not ascertained, remnants belonging to more than 300 people have been found. Radiocarbon dating of the bones at Oxford Universitys Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit determined the time period to be AD 850 ±30 years.[citation needed] The Anthropological Survey of India conducted a study of the skeletons during the 1950s and some samples are displayed at the Anthropological Survey of India Museum, Dehradun. Identification Scientific tests revealed that the skeletons belonged to several groups of people, including a group of short people (probably local porters) and a taller group who were closely related - with DNA mutations characteristic for Konkanastha Brahmins (Chitpavans) from Maharashtra.A DNA test conducted by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, indicated that three samples with unique mutation in mitochondrial DNA, matched with those of the Chitpavans.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 07:07:37 +0000
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