The lead researchers of the DNA study of Rakhigarhi skeletal remains have stated that they found no central Asian trace. According to a report in Economic Times, Vasant Shinde and Neeraj Rai, the lead researchers of the study have stated that this establishes the Vedic era was guided and founded by totally indigenous people with limited external contact.
The study is soon to be published after a long research period and the researchers believe that the findings prove the Aryan Invasion Theory was flawed and Vedic era evolution of knowledge and culture happened through indigenous people.
Vasant Shinde, the Vice-Chancellor of The Deccan College in Pune and the lead archaeologist of the study, stated that the Rakhigarhi human DNA shows a predominantly local element, especially in the mitochondrial DNA. There are some foreign elements which show a limited mix-up with a foreign population, but the DNA is clearly local. This, added up with the archaeological data of the site establish that the Vedic era that followed was a fully indigenous period.
The burial sites reportedly were quite similar to an early Vedic period, also known as the Rigvedic era. The pottery, brick types and examination of other artefacts, along with the skeletal, dental and cranial examination of the remains indicated a culturally and intellectually advanced civilisation in the region. Neeraj Rai also added that the people were healthy, well built and showed no signs of disease or infections, which indicates they had no lack of health care. Rai is the head of the DNA laboratory of Lucknow’s Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences.
Rai also added that the skeletal remains indicated no trace of warfare to suggest any violent conflicts. He reportedly added that the findings of this study, compared with other excavations of the Rigvedic era indicate towards the continuity of the indigenous civilisation rather than any new Aryan race descending upon them. Rakhigarhi is one of the biggest Harappan civilisation sites discovered so far and is spread across 300 hectares near Hisar in Haryana. The remains are believed to be 6000 years old.
The DNA samples were examined in Centre of Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad and also sent to Seoul in South Korea and Harvard for further research and establishing accuracy.
Recently in another significant finding, ASI has discovered chariots, weapons and other sophisticated artefacts near Sanauli in Baghpat, UP, which indicates the presence of a highly advanced warrior clan around 2200-1800 BC.
For years in India’s modern History, the Aryan Invasion Theory was considered a gospel truth. The theory states that Aryans, a superior, fair skinned race from central Asia ‘invaded’ the existing civilisations in India and pushed them southwards. Many modern-day researchers and Historians now completely reject it.
