Traces of human settlements of approximately 4,000 years ago have been found in Chandaka Sanctuary on the outskrits of the city.
A research team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in has said to be a civilisation of Stone Age. The team led by ASI Bhubaneswar circle deputy superintendent DB Garnaik revealed that there was human habitat in the hill caves located in the north-west of forest.
During the three-month long research in the wildlife reserve, the team found ancient stone carvings. The primary statistics revealed that the artwork on reptiles, weapons and geometrical signs prove that people were living in Parthapur, Kusapangi and Gayalbank areas, around 20 km away from Cuttack and 40 km from Bhubaneswar, 3,500-4,000 years ago.
The artworks found from the site are assumed to be of the new Stone Age and Copper Age. The caves inside the hills have been named as Pandav Bakhara, Diarakhola, tiger cave, Chanchali cave, Kalia Taila cave, Narahari cave and Anahat cave where artworks of copper Stone Age have been found. There is a lake situated adjacent to the hill near the Mahanadi river. It is assumed that there was a civilisation near the river during that period.
In view of so many discoveries made about Copper Age civilisations in several locations of Odisha, especially on the banks of Daya and Mahanadi rivers in the past two-three years, we decided to conduct survey in the premises of sanctuary, said Garnaik.
The similar artworks have been discovered at Bhimbhetka in Madhya Pradesh, he said, adding that the artworks found at Chandaka resemble the central Indian geographical condition.
There are the caves of sand and limestone at Chandaka. For the first time, such an ancient civilisation was discovered in the coastal Odisha, he said.
Meanwhile, the first phase research has been completed. Further research will be conducted in the areas adjacent to Bhubaneswar. We are expecting to find ancient artwork from some places in the sanctuary, he added.