Charaideo-excavation bones to go through D alysis

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR, APRIL 23: D alysis of blood samples of descendents of Ahom will be done to ascertain the relation with bones found during the excavation at Charaideo Maidam. This statement was made by the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI).

Addressing a press conference at the ASI, Sivasagar office on Thursday evening, Dr Vee Mushrif Tripathy, Assistant Professor at Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune said, “Since the excavation was done in 2002 at the Charaideo Maidam, it has remained a subject of curiosity among the people. The excavated human remains from the Charaideo Maidam have been studied at ASI Sivasagar Sub-Circle office and interesting findings have been come into light after the anthropological alysis.”

Revealing the findings, Dr. Vee Mushrif said, “During the excavation bones of six individuals were found but the number of skulls found were five. It is evident from the long bones that there are at least six individuals. The five skulls were of four females and one male. The male was probably in his 40s, whereas out of the four females two were in their 20s and other two in their 30s. The five skulls recovered during the excavation comprise three mandibles, two radius, two tibia, two scapula, six ribs and 46 long bones.” Though a human skeleton has 206 bones, there should have been a total number of 1,236 bones for six persons, but only 66 bones were found, she further said.

“One Madhurjya Rajkonwar of Charaideo has been providing help to get modern samples for D. He is very much interested to know about his history. He belongs to Tai Ahom and most importantly to royal family. He is helping us to know the unknown history of Ahoms and of Assam at large,” she added. Speaking on the subject, Superintending Archaeologist of ASI Dr. Milan Chauley said, “ASI is conducting the huge task in collaboration with Dr. Vee Mushrif Tripathy of Deccan College and Pune and Dr. Thangraj and his group of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.” Samples are being sent to CCMB for D which will take at least 1 to 2 years as it is very tedious job to take out the ancient D from bones, Dr. Chauley further added.