Archaeologists have made a significant discovery in Nagaland’s Noklak district, uncovering evidence of prehistoric human habitation in caves and rockshelters of the Naga Hills Ophiolite Belt. A joint team from Nagaland University and the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Nagaland, conducted a preliminary archaeological cave expedition in March this year, led by Prof. Tiatoshi Jamir and other experts. The team’s intensive foot exploration of the limestone karst terrain in the Chiphur area, assisted by the Chiphur Village Council, led to the identification of several caves and rockshelters.
Excavations at these high-altitude sites revealed a range of artifacts, including cord-marked pottery, ground stone tools, hearth features, carbonised cereals, and wild faunal remains. The cereal remains included foxtail millet and Job’s tears. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry dates analysed by Beta Analytic Laboratory in Florida, United States, established the ages of two sites.
The Leilo Kaa rockshelter was dated to around 3,500 years ago, while the Kathso Kaa cave site was dated to around 1,000 years ago. The findings indicate that these sites were used from the prehistoric period to the historical period. Researchers believe that Northeast India has long been considered a corridor of human migration, and the Naga Hills Ophiolite Belt and the Naga Metamorphic Complex hold considerable archaeological potential for understanding the region’s prehistoric past.
The scientific dating of caves and rockshelters in Nagaland is helping researchers build a broader picture of the lives of early human populations. A public exhibition of the excavation finds is planned for October this year by the State Museum under the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Nagaland, and Nagaland University.
