Early settlement in Sundarbans reveals rich civilization

PanARMENIAN.Net - Traces that indicate settlement dating back to around 1,500 years ago, have been discovered in five places of the Sundarbans, a vast forest in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal.

Various utensils and tools used by the then people have been found in different places of the world's largest mangrove forest, Prothom Alo reports.

This archaeological discovery was made through personal and dedicated search of a researcher named Isme Azam.

He said these installations, earlier covered by forest land, emerged into the open following soil erosion. "This was probably a seaport of ancient times, ruined over the ages," the amateur archaeologist told Prothom Alo.

According to the findings, the largest structures were located around 83 kilometres away from Shyamnagar of Satkhira, along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, in Khejurdana, Arpangashia and Shekhertek.

More structures were discovered along the bank of the river Kholpatua in the Satkhira part of the Sundarbans and in Katka, in the Khulna part of the forest.

Explorers say as the river erodes the banks, the soil has washed away, gradually revealing these structures.

Previously in 1998, the surveys of archeology department and the archeological surveys of the forest department, Khulna University and three universities of Malaysia also pointed to evidence of certain structures.

Professor Humayun Akhter of Dhaka University’s geology department and professor Badrul Islam of Rajshahi University’s geology and mining department have been researching on the geological formation of the Sundarbans and the extinct salt industry. Their research has also brought to light quite a few old structures and items.