Pak archaeologists discover over one million years old human footprints

Pakistani archaeologists have found two over one million years old human footprints preserved on sandstone in the Margalla Hills, which surround the capital.

Islamabad, July 28 : Pakistani archaeologists have found two over one million years old human footprints preserved on sandstone in the Margalla Hills, which surround the capital.

World-renowned archaeologist and historian Dr Ahmad Hassan Dani of the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations, Quaid-i-Azam University, made the discovery.

A footprint of one foot is in complete and well-preserved form, while another is broken from the finger side, which is also of the same size in comparative manner, the Dawn reports.

The notable marks of the feet are the clear veins and opposite folded appearance, the report adds.

According to Dr. Azad, further research of the footmarks using anthropological and geophysical methods, might give more clues.

The recent discovery is the continuity of the Indusian Research Cell's earlier research about human evolution, which previously revealed a fossilised upper jaw from the site of Dhudhumber, foot, and handprints from Attock and Palaeolithic cave from the Margalla Hills.

Pakistan is said to have abundant fossilised evidences of Pre-Cambrian to Holocene epochs, the earliest evidences of the anthropoid existence, the earliest cultural centre at Mehargarh (contemporary of Jericho and Jarmo) and most advanced civilisation of the world (Indus Valley).

According to Dr. Azad the formation of the Margalla Hills goes back to the Miocene epoch. The dominant limestone of the Margalla is also mixed with the sand stone.

ANI