Mizoram caves are going to come alive with activities by Anthropological Survey of India in collaboration with the Mizoram chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in coming days.
An exploration study of the skulls and skeletal remains of human beings found in several caves of Mizoram will be done by scientists from Anthropological Survey of India in collaboration with the Mizoram chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
A team of the Anthropological Survey of India from Shillong had already visited Mizoram last week for a discussion and preliminary studies.
The team, comprising regional officer R.R. Gowloog, assistant anthropologist G.K. Bera and statistician Elizabeth Lalawmkimi, had decided to take up the matter with the higher authorities in Calcutta.
During the exploration programme, scientists will collect samples and fragments of skulls and skeletons for carbon dating and laboratory examination.
Notably, most of the human skeletons found inside the caves of Mizoram are taller in size than the Mizo’s normal stature.
Scientists believe these might belong to some other races of people that had inhabited Mizoram before the Mizos came to this part of the globe.
Many of these caves in the State are located deep in the jungles and remote areas.
Scientists hope that the study of human skeletons, which date back to many centuries, will help historians in reconstructing the state’s history.
Some of the prominent caves in Mizoram are Pukzing Cave at Pukzing village near Marpara in Mamit district, Milu Puk (cave of skulls) near Mamte village in Lunglei district, Lamsial Puk (Lamsial cave), near Farkawn village in Champhai district and Kungawrhi Puk (Kungawrhi cave) located near Vaphai village in Champhai district.