Gujarat: Ancient Indian skeleton still waits for permanent address

The find could shed light on how Indians lived 1,000 years ago - but is without a museum because of red tape.

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Archaeologist Abhijit Ambekar made the significant discovery in 2019, when he spotted what looked like the top of a human skull while excavating in western Gujarat state.

As his team dug deeper, they found the well-preserved remains in a pit in what appeared to be a meditative posture. Similar remains have been found at only three other sites in India.

But officials are still arguing over who should take charge of the skeleton. It remains in a makeshift shelter – not far from a new museum of local archaeology.

Abhijit Ambekar says the skeleton - found in the town of Vadnagar - is likely to belong to the Solanki period. The Solanki dynasty, also known as the Chaulukya dynasty, ruled over parts of modern-day Gujarat between 940 to 1300 CE.