A Discovery That Sparked Questions
In 1942, a forest ranger named Hari Kishan Madhwal made a startling discovery in the remote Himalayas. At an altitude of 5,020 meters, in a glacial lake called Roopkund, he found hundreds of human skeletons scattered along the lake’s edge. Initially, British authorities suspected they belonged to Japanese soldiers attempting an invasion during World War II. However, further investigation proved the remains were much older.
Ancient Remains and Artifacts
The skeletons, visible when the ice melts, were accompanied by wooden artifacts, iron spearheads, rings, and leather slippers. Some of the remains still had flesh attached when examined in 2003. The Anthropological Survey of India studied the bones in the 1950s, and carbon dating later revealed that the remains belonged to at least three distinct groups from two separate time periods.
Scientific Revelations
Radiocarbon analysis placed one group’s death around 800 CE and another around 1800 CE. The older group had South Asian ancestry, while the later remains included individuals from the eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. This finding debunked theories that all the individuals died in a single event.
Local Legends and Theories
One legend tells of a 9th-century king, Raja Jasdhaval, who perished with his entourage during a pilgrimage when a violent hailstorm struck. Some skeletons showed signs of head injuries, possibly caused by large hailstones. While the exact cause of death for all remains is unknown, Roopkund continues to be a mystery, attracting researchers and trekkers alike.
In 1942, a forest ranger in India found hundreds of skeletons at Roopkund, a glacial lake in the Himalayas. The remains lay scattered along the lake’s edge. Who were they? How did they die? Decades of research uncovered details about the mysterious site hidden in ice…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/KEijhKePr1
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