On May 25th 2015, the journal Nature published evidence that the Indus Valley Civilization of India could be older than those of Egypt or Mesopotamia. A new study done by scientist at IIT-Kharagpur and Archaeological Survey of India has shown that the Indus Valley Civilization of India is at least 8,000 years old. They've also found evidence of a pre-Harappan civilization that existed for about 1,000 year before that.
The research team excavated an unexplored site in the Bhirrana area. There they found large quantities of animal remains. Those remains were put through Carbon 14 analysis to determine the antiquity and climate. The study revealed that a pre-Harrapan society began in an area along the Ghaggar-Hakra rivers, in a climate that favored human settlement and agriculture.
Based on the radio carbon dating, the settlement at Bhirrana is believed to be the oldest on the sub Indian continent. However, to check the validity of their findings, the research team dated pottery taken from two cultural levels using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL). They investigated the interrelationship between the cultural levels and climate change that took place in the region. The team believes that a change in crop pattern and a declining monsoon, ultimately lead the the civilization's decline.
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