Latest revision as of 19:14, 8 September 2026

[edit] A backgrounder

Rajghat is a major archaeological site on the north-eastern edge of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, near the Ganga and Varuna river confluence. Discovered in 1940, it shows cultural continuity from around 800 BCE, spanning pre-Mauryan periods, Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) eras, and medieval times. [1, 2, 3, 4]

’’’ Discovery and Excavations

First Found: Discovered in 1940 during work to expand the Kashi railway station.

Major Digs: Excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) between 1957 and 1969.

Cultural Phases: Uncovered six distinct cultural periods showing ancient homes, seals, and terracotta items. [1, 2, 3]

Recent Scientific Studies

Human Skeleton Analysis: BHU started a modern genetic and bio-archaeological study on an unanalyzed skeleton found during early excavations at Rajghat. [1]

DNA and Diet Tests: Researchers are using ancient DNA and isotope tests to check the ancestry, lifestyle, and diet of early Kashi people. [1]

Indus Valley Links: Scientists aim to compare these Gangetic valley findings with skeletal data from the Indus Valley Civilization site at Rakhigarhi.

[edit] 1957: skeleton

Manish Sahu, Aug 6, 2026: The Indian Express

The skeleton, believed to be about 1,000 years old, was preserved in a wooden box at Banaras Hindu University since its discovery at the archaeological site of Rajghat in Varanasi.

For nearly 70 years, a human skeleton lay sealed inside a wooden box at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Now, researchers have opened it, hoping its bones can reveal more about who lived in Varanasi nearly 1,000 years ago.

The skeleton was recovered during excavations at Rajghat, an archaeological site in the middle Ganga Valley, in 1957 and has remained in the custody of BHU’s Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology ever since.

On Tuesday, a team of experts specialising in ancient DNA collected samples from the skeleton for genetic and bio-archaeological analysis.

Why was the box opened now?

It was the department head, Professor M P Ahirwar, who took the lead to reopen the box and examine the skeletal remains. He approached Professor Gyaneshwar Chaubey of BHU’s Department of Zoology.

“Following correspondence and the necessary approvals, it was decided to conduct a comprehensive scientific examination of the skeleton. At our request, a team of scientists led by Dr Prajwal Pratap Singh from the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, visited BHU,” said Professor Chaubey.

How was the skeleton examined?

Before opening the box, the team of experts trained BHU officials in the proper scientific procedures to prevent contamination of the ancient remains.

Donning protective gear, the researchers carefully handled and examined the skeleton. Since the bones had not been treated with any chemical preservatives, they were considered suitable for scientific testing.

“When we opened the box, we found that the skeleton was in pieces. We selected a few well-preserved long bones that are suitable for ancient DNA testing. The collected bone samples will now be sent to a specialised laboratory for genetic analysis,” said Professor Chaubey.

The samples will be analysed at one of the specialised ancient DNA laboratories in Hyderabad, Lucknow or Bengaluru, where scientists will attempt to recover genetic material from the centuries-old bones.

What can it reveal?

Professor Chaubey said the skeleton is believed to be about 1,000 years old. “But its age can only be confirmed through radiocarbon dating, which will provide a more precise estimate of when the individual lived.”

“In addition to radiocarbon dating, we will analyse mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited through the maternal line and can reveal maternal ancestry extending back thousands of years.”

He added that since the skeleton appears to be that of a male, researchers will also try to recover Y-chromosome DNA. “This could help trace his paternal lineage and provide clues about his ancestral origins,” Professor Chaubey said.

He said the project will involve two types of analysis.

The first, ancient DNA analysis, will help scientists identify the individual’s genetic ancestry and determine how the person was related to other ancient populations in South Asia, including those from the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi.

The second is stable isotope analysis, which can reveal the person’s diet and the types of food they consumed.

Professor Ahirwar said the department had preserved the skeleton for nearly 70 years and that advances in scientific technology now made it possible to answer long-standing questions about the people who once lived in the middle Ganga Valley.

Why is Rajghat important?

Rajghat, located on the north-eastern edge of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganga and Varuna rivers, is one of the most important archaeological sites in the middle Ganga Valley.

The site came to light in 1940 during the expansion of the Kashi railway station. Excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India and BHU between 1957 and 1969 uncovered remains from several cultural periods, shedding light on the early history of the region.

[edit] Details

Sep 3, 2026: The Indian Express

The 10,000 artefacts include sculptures, ancient coins, tools, stamp seals and objects made of copper, ivory and bone. (Image: Special Arrangement)
From: Sep 3, 2026: The Indian Express

An ivory die and other artefacts. (Special Arrangement)
From: Sep 3, 2026: The Indian Express

Why a 1950s excavation is shedding new light on Varanasi’s ancient past now

What can the Rajghat artefacts reveal about Varanasi, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world? And why are the boxes being examined now?

The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) recently examined 22 boxes stored with it for around 70 years, to find more than 10,000 artefacts, including painted black pottery believed to be 3,000 years old.

The artefacts were excavated from Rajghat, one of the oldest known settlements in the Varanasi region, between 1957 and 1969.

Where is Rajghat and why is it significant for the history of Varanasi?

Rajghat today refers to a neighbourhood located in eastern Varanasi. But the Rajghat archaeological site more specifically refers to the ancient settlement located in the northeastern outskirts of the city, near the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Varana.

Archaeologist and former professor of archaeology at BHU, Vidula Jaiswal, explained that Rajghat is identified as the capital of the Kashi Janapada. Janapadas were territorial kingdoms or political units that emerged in ancient India, particularly during the later Vedic period. Some of these janapadas grew into larger, more powerful kingdoms known as mahajanapadas by the 6th century BCE. Early Buddhist and Jain texts mention Kashi as one of 16 mahajanpadas in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

The region of Kashi, more popularly known as Varanasi, is dotted with several ancient settlements. A number of them have been excavated in the last few decades, which includes Aktha, Ramnagar, Sarnath and Rajghat.

Jaiswal, who has led excavations at eight sites in the region, concluded that while Sarnath emerged as a pilgrimage site, Rajghat developed as the main urban centre. The remaining settlements, which are dated to be several centuries older, were peripheral, rural regions of Kashi.

When was Rajghat excavated and what did the excavations reveal?

The settlement at Rajghat first came to archaeological attention in 1940, when a railway contractor reported finding archaeological remains while excavating earth for the extension and remodelling of Kashi Railway Station. The archaeologist Krishna Deva then took up trial excavation of the site on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in October-November of the year.

Consequently, excavations were carried out at three mounds at Rajghat in 1957 by A K Narain and his colleagues from BHU’s Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology. Conducted in four phases over 12 years, the excavations unearthed a large number of significant artefacts. The lowest, and therefore oldest, layer of the settlement yielded pre-Northern Black Polished Ware (pre-NBPW), a type of pottery associated with an earlier phase of the Iron Age. Based on this evidence, the origins of the settlement at Rajghat were dated to around 800 BCE.

Several years later, in the early 2000s, Jaiswal and archaeologist B R Mani re-excavated Rajghat to verify the dating of its oldest layer. “We just dug the lower levels of the site, starting from the Kushana period (1st century BCE to 3rd century CE), and kept going further down,” Jaiswal said. Scientific analysis of the artefacts recovered from these layers subsequently confirmed the date of the settlement’s oldest layer as around 800 BCE.

Among the artefacts recovered from the site are hundreds of seals and sealings. Professor Mahesh Prasad Ahirwar, head of the department at BHU, said that the seals are the most important artefacts from Rajghat. “Many of them carry Greek inscriptions. Several of them carry names of the administrative units and their officials,” he said. That apart, ivory and iron objects, punch-marked coins, and terracotta figurines have also been found.

The significance of these finds, said Ahirwar, is in tracing the development of human civilisation in the subcontinent.

Jaiswal said the antiquity of Varanasi is well established in mythological and religious texts. When she first excavated Rajghat, one of the questions was whether the archaeological evidence from the region corresponded with these textual traditions. But, she cautioned, mythology and archaeology operate on very different bases.

“When a site has to be established as important, there is a tendency to describe it as pracheen (ancient),” she said. “We must remember that the connection between Varanasi, Shiva and the Ganga is a product of late medieval texts.”

Archaeology, meanwhile, dates a settlement based on its material remains. Jaiswal said remains from Rajghat and other sites in Varanasi can be dated to as far back as 1800 BCE. The considerable gap between these archaeological dates and the period of the textual traditions, she argued, needs to be kept in mind when reconstructing the history of Varanasi.

Why is BHU documenting the artefacts now?

The recent documentation of the Rajghat artefacts, said Ahirwar, is part of the centenary celebrations of his department at BHU. The idea was to preserve all the past work that the department has done over the last 100 years, and lay them out in the public domain for future generations of researchers. “There are also plans for developing a museum in future,” Ahirwar said.

The documentation, which started from January this year, has already recorded about 4,000 artefacts. Ahirwar believes that there are close to 10,000 objects from Rajghat alone.

He also pointed out that the Rajghat excavation reports are already in the public domain and the artefacts have been available to researchers all these years. Some researchers have also studied the material. However, this is the first concerted and organised effort to document all the findings.

The human skeleton is the only artefact that has been opened for the first time. “When Professor Narain excavated it in the 1960s, we did not have the technology to analyse human remains,” said Ahirwar. With advances in techniques such as DNA sampling and analysis, he believes the skeleton could now yield more information about the age, ancestry and lifestyle of the people who lived in the region in antiquity.